MP alleges bullying in Vilnius district municipality, mayor calls it political performance

Lithuanian parliamentarian Jaroslaw Narkiewicz has alleged ongoing workplace bullying and intimidation at the Vilnius district municipality, while Mayor Robert Duchnevičius described a news conference on the issue as a political performance, LRT reported.

Narkiewicz, a member of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS), said he had sensed fear among municipal employees while speaking with them at public events. He said there were signs that “persecution and manifestations of mobbing” continued, adding that a climate of fear should not become normal in municipal administration.

Renata Sobieska, an LLRA-KŠS faction member on the municipal council, said the council had previously raised concerns about possible violations of workers’ rights. She cited a letter sent to institutions subordinate to the municipality asking which employees would attend an event organised by the Union of Poles. Sobieska said the letter could intimidate staff and amounted to persecution.

Agata Puncevičienė, a former head of the Paberžė eldership, said her work assessment worsened after she won a court case to overturn a disciplinary penalty. She said she received another penalty this year and was subsequently dismissed.

Duchnevičius said the statements gave the impression that local and national LLRA-KŠS politicians were following the party leader’s instructions. He also suggested they could be linked to approaching elections and efforts to raise political profiles. In his view, the news conference looked more like a coordinated political performance than a genuine attempt to establish the facts.

The dispute comes as the Vilnius district municipal council has been unable to consider renaming streets named after Polish clergyman Henrik Gulbinowicz, who was punished for the sexual exploitation of minors. Last Friday, the issue was removed from the agenda at the request of the LLRA-KŠS faction. An earlier council meeting, on October 12, also failed to take place because there was no quorum, with LLRA-KŠS faction members absent. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday.