Čmilytė-Nielsen: Municipality's Decision Sets a Bad Precedent

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement, has strongly criticized the Vilnius municipality's decision to dismiss the boards of five of its companies. She calls the move a "grave mistake" and argues it creates a dangerous precedent that other political parties could exploit.

Čmilytė-Nielsen expressed concern that this action, taken just before new Labor Code amendments concerning employee representation on company boards take effect, opens the door for political manipulation. She fears it will allow parties to appoint individuals of their choosing to boards, undermining fair representation and potentially leading to similar actions in other municipalities and state-owned enterprises.

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I believe that the decision of the Vilnius authorities not to admit employee representatives and the way it is done is a grave mistake. Conservatives in Vilnius are essentially opening Pandora's box and giving the green light to social democrats and others to show this precedent and say: 'Look, this is what the conservatives did, so now we will appoint whomever we want to the boards.' I don't understand this decision and cannot justify it.

"I don't understand this decision and cannot justify it," Čmilytė-Nielsen stated. She believes the municipality exploited a loophole in the law, setting a "bad practice" that erodes trust in politicians. The Liberal leader warned that such precedents could lead to future problems and create an environment of suspicion, impacting not only employee representatives but potentially other board members as well.

The Vilnius administration claims the decision aligns with the upcoming changes in the Labor Code, which will mandate employee inclusion on boards. However, critics, including the Lithuanian Confederation of Professional Unions (LPSK), have called for the decision to be reversed and for consultations to be held before new boards are formed. The Social Democratic party and the Minister of Social Security and Labour have also voiced disapproval, with the minister calling the municipality's actions "pathetic and cynical."

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I believe that this will create many problems in the future. Such precedents should not be created with one's own hands, because then all other participants and opponents in the political field will have a green light to use the same principles.