Lithuanian MPs spend nearly €2 million on parliamentary work

Members of Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, spent nearly €2 million on parliamentary activities in the first nine months of this year, according to data collected by the Seimas Ethics and Procedures Commission and reported by LRT.

From January through September, MPs spent €1,939,459, up €233,000 from the same period last year. Each MP could use up to €18,180 for parliamentary activities during the nine-month period.

Tom Domarkas of the Dawn party used the full amount, spending €16,000 on vehicle operating costs, servicing, rental and repairs. Nearly a third of MPs spent more than €17,000. Among those who came within a few dozen euros of the maximum were Democrat Tomas Tomilinas, independent group member Ignas Vėgėlė, Social Democrat Tadas Prajara, Conservative Audrius Petrošius and Liberal Ričardas Juška.

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas spent €2,650, more than half of it on catering for event participants. Among MPs who also serve as ministers, Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas spent the most, at €18,000. Transport-related costs accounted for €12,500, while he also spent €900 on phones and €800 on souvenirs.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas spent more than €15,000; Health Minister Linas Kukuraitis, €16,500; Agriculture Minister Kęstutis Mažeika, €10,300; Education, Science and Sport Minister Raminta Popovienė, nearly €16,000; Social Security and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė, €1,280; Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė, €9,016; and Energy Minister Lukas Savickas, €13,000.

Transport, including car rental, fuel, insurance and repairs, was a major expense for many MPs, often accounting for half or more of their parliamentary spending. Conservative Arūnas Valinskas spent nearly €13,500 on transport, Social Democrat Darius Razmislevičius spent €13,300, and Liberal Audrius Petrošius spent €13,000.

Souvenirs were another common expense. Farmer and Greens Union MP Valius Ąžuolas spent €9,500 on them, Democrat Agnė Jakavičiūtė-Miliauskienė spent €8,000, and independent group member Vitalijus Šeršniovas spent nearly €8,000. Liberal Simonas Kairys spent more than €7,000 on renting and maintaining his parliamentary office.

Social Democrats Indrė Kižienė and Lilija Vaitiekūnė each spent €5,000 on public information services. Nearly 20 MPs spent between €20 and €3,000 on professional development, while several paid for legal assistance. Liberal Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen spent €5,000 on producing business cards and other information materials, and Democrat Dainius Varnas spent €4,600 on similar services. Democrat Domas Griškevičius paid €2,200 to print and distribute his parliamentary report.

MPs also used the funds to buy flowers and books and organise tours of parliament. Conservatives Gintarė Skaistė and Ingrida Šimonytė did not use the funds; their fellow faction member Raimondas Kuodis spent less than €25.

MPs spent more than €2.5 million on parliamentary activities last year, over €500,000 more than the year before. They receive a monthly allowance equal to 0.8 of the average monthly wage for expenses related to their parliamentary work. The allowance rises as the average wage increases.