The Lithuanian Parliament rejected the proposal of the ruling party for early elections amid a scandal over the expenses of members of the government. It is reported by LRT.

66 deputies of the Seimas voted in favor of holding early elections, 61 deputies voted against, and 8 deputies abstained.

The ruling Fatherland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats proposed to dissolve parliament and hold early elections to "reset" the political system after media reports that many politicians, including three members of the cabinet, received payments while serving as municipal councilors. Presenting the plan for parliamentary elections, the country's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who heads the Fatherland Union, said that voters should be given the opportunity to become the "final arbiter" of the scandal.

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte had earlier promised to resign the government if the parliament did not agree to the dissolution, but later changed her mind, saying that she "probably allowed herself too much."

Previously, Simonyte called the conflict in Ukraine the main challenge for the Lithuanian Cabinet of Ministers in 2022.

In May, Raimundas Lopata, chairman of the Committee for the Future in the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania, said that deputies were considering renaming Russia to Muscovy.