On October 4, Lithuanian leader Gitanas Nauseda signed a decree dismissing Culture Minister Ignotas Adomavičius. This happened after the latter refused to answer the media about who actually owns the Russian-occupied Ukrainian Crimea.
Points of attention
- Controversial statements and inability to answer critical questions lead to the downfall of Minister Adomavičius.
- Scandal highlights tensions surrounding Crimea and underscores the importance of political accountability in Lithuania.
Adomavičius resigns after high-profile scandal
Lithuanian Culture Minister Ignotas Adomavičius from the far-right Niemanu Dawn party was unable to answer the question about Crimea's affiliation.
He cynically called it provocative.
These are provocative questions, let's not even approach them, because we are not talking about the Ministry of Culture now... Let's not play these games. You see, we need to... There is a line that should not be crossed. This is where we need to stop on these issues, — the minister stated.
Adomavičius also could not find an answer to the question of what Ukraine's victory would mean to him.
"Probably, the Ukrainians themselves know this best — what is a victory for them. Not us," he said.
After a series of cynical statements by the Minister of Culture, a loud scandal erupted — he was forced to resign.
The duties of the Minister of Culture will be temporarily performed by the Minister of Education, Science and Sports, Raminta Popovene.
