Lithuanian MP faces impeachment if court confirms Žemaitaitis’ guilt

If the Lithuanian Court of Appeals upholds the conviction of Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the “Nemuno aušros” party, for antisemitic remarks, the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) must initiate impeachment proceedings against him, according to Viktoras Fiodorovas, chair of the Seimas Ethics and Procedure Committee.

“Upon receiving such a court decision, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the Seimas must inform the parliament and start the impeachment process. It is much simpler than the Seimas having to determine whether a violation occurred. The Seimas statute clearly states that if a court confirms a criminal act and the ruling is from the Court of Appeals, impeachment proceedings must begin,” Fiodorovas told ELTA on Tuesday.

Under the Seimas statute, a member of parliament loses their mandate if convicted in a criminal case. In 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that Žemaitaitis had violated his oath as an MP and the Constitution with his antisemitic statements. At the time, he voluntarily resigned from his parliamentary seat.

Fiodorovas did not rule out that Žemaitaitis might again choose to resign rather than face impeachment. “He is an expert in this matter, having done it once before. I wouldn’t rule out that he might do it again, as there is no indication in the public domain that he has abandoned his political ambitions. If the Seimas were to revoke his mandate, many doors to his political ambitions would close. But as an expert in this matter, he might act the same way again,” the MP said.

Agnė Širinskienė, elder of the ruling Democratic Union “For Lithuania” faction in the Seimas, also believes impeachment should be pursued now. “I agree with the legal opinion and consistently hold the position that impeachment could be initiated immediately after the Court of Appeals’ decision, though discussions in the Seimas are likely to follow,” she said.

Julius Sabatauskas, chair of the Seimas Legal Affairs Committee and a Social Democrat, argued that MPs should wait for a cassation court ruling before initiating impeachment. “I think we should follow the precedent from the previous term, when we waited for the Supreme Court’s verdict,” he said, noting that such a delay would not be long—at most six months.

“We don’t know what the cassation instance intends to decide. What if it overturns the Court of Appeals’ ruling, dismisses the case, or acquits Žemaitaitis? The impeachment process would already be underway, the mandate revoked, and early elections held, costing the state hundreds of thousands of euros. That would be additional, unjustified state expenses,” Sabatauskas added.

Both Sabatauskas and Širinskienė confirmed that their factions have not yet agreed on how to proceed. The largest opposition Conservative faction is still deciding on the best timing for impeachment and has not commented on whether it would initiate the process if the Seimas leadership does not. The Liberal Movement believes Žemaitaitis should be removed from the Seimas immediately.

Mindaugas Lingė, deputy elder of the Conservative faction, said the faction should decide on its impeachment strategy within about a week and hopes to coordinate a joint position with the Liberals.

“I think the faction’s position will not change, and when the opportunity arises to implement this initiative, we will consult with other opposition factions, likely the Liberal Movement,” Lingė said.