I. Vēgėlė complained to G. Nausėdas about trips to the regions: the president answered

“This scale of use of tax payers’ money and official status in elections has never happened before”, says I. Vēgėlė.

I. Vēgėlė’s complaint indicates that political campaign participant G. Nausėda systematically and illegally uses state budget funds and uses his official position while running the presidential election campaign. According to the candidate, G. Nausėda openly presents his electoral program and goals in meetings with people organized, advertised and paid for with taxpayers’ money.

“I know how much it costs, because I myself travel around Lithuania, but we pay everything transparently from the election account specially opened for that purpose and declare it publicly to the Central Election Commission. It is not even thousands, but tens of thousands of euros. Paying for election trips and meetings, their advertising and other publicity with taxpayers’ money violates the Election Code signed by the President himself a few years ago.

Misuse of state finances and institutional resources enables those who are already in power to remain in power. These actions are not only unfair, but also illegal,” says I. Vēgėlė.

If violations of the Election Code are found, I. Vēgėlė asks the CEC to assess whether the violations committed by Gitana Nausėda meet the definition of a gross violation provided for in the Election Code. The Electoral Code emphasizes that gross violation of election requirements can be grounds for removing a candidate from the election.

“Election campaigning is being carried out openly for taxpayers’ money. I understand that Gitanas Nausėda, a participant in the election campaign, is the President, he can and must meet with state or local government officials, participate in meetings or events significant for the state and local government.

However, the obvious jump in the number of trips to the regions during the election campaign, the intensity of following-hours meetings with residents and the presentation of candidate Gitanas Nausėda’s election program and goals, as well as the significantly expanded program of visits to the regions specially created for his wife Diana Nausėda, show that the election campaign participant Gitanas Nausėda with these visits to the regions, he is not carrying out the duties of the President, but election campaigning for state budget funds.

Systematic use of the official position and running of the election campaign for taxpayers’ money can be seen as a gross violation of the election law,” says I. Vēgėlė.

Representative of G. Nausėda: others might and should have done the same

G. Nausėda has stated that he has consistently been going to the regions throughout his term, so his recent trips are not unusual. He repeated the same now.

“The president, together with the first lady, has been working in the regions since 2019, when he took office. Other politicians and those who want to become politicians not only might, but also had to do the same,” said Frederiks Janson, head of the Presidential Press Office.