President sees Katelynas as potential interior minister, addresses controversial statements

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda met with Martynas Katelynas, a candidate for interior minister, on Tuesday evening, with the politician leaving a positive impression despite past controversial remarks, LRT.lt reports.

Katelynas, a member of parliament from the Varėna district and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), has been informally linked to the role following potential government changes. He could replace current Interior Minister Vladislovas Kondratovičius.

After the meeting, the president’s chief advisor, Deividas Matulionis, confirmed that Katelynas made a strong impression. “Significant attention was given to migration issues, and I want to emphasize that the president and the candidate’s views on this topic aligned completely. We also discussed civil security and the expansion of border barriers,” Matulionis said.

Addressing Katelynas’ past controversial statements—including a comparison of Lithuanian officers to Belarusian OMON forces—Matulionis urged considering the context. “We faced a serious migration crisis, and tensions in society were high,” he noted.

Katelynas acknowledged the remarks but clarified they were directed at the ministry’s leadership at the time, not the officers themselves. “The problem was that Lithuania faced an unprecedented hybrid attack. We all remember the uncontrolled influx of migrants and the protests that turned into riots near the Seimas, as well as the overall situation with COVID-19 restrictions. My criticism was not of the officers’ actions but of the then-leadership’s handling of the crisis,” he said.

He added that the public was not properly informed about the situation with migrants housed in Rūdninkai, which fueled resistance. On the use of lethal force against migrants, Katelynas stressed the complex context and accused political opponents of exploiting his words.

“At that time, border guards faced an unprecedented crisis. They lacked the means to fully stop it, as well as sufficient human and other resources. They did what they could. Later examples, like the death of a border guard in Poland trying to stop a migrant surge, showed the severity. To my knowledge, at that time, border guards did not have the right to use lethal force, even if their lives were in danger,” he explained.

Katelynas stated he does not deny his past statements but can explain them. He admitted that, in hindsight, he might choose different rhetoric but stood by his past words. “Of course, I would probably choose different words today. In political rhetoric, sometimes things are exaggerated. But I’m not running away from what I said—I can explain it, but I won’t deny that I said it,” he said.

He also revealed that he only learned of his candidacy on Tuesday.