What Virginijus spoke about.

9

Jul

2026

LT Speech

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Feasibility of a 28th tax regime and its potential to support EU competitiveness (debate)

Dear President, dear colleagues. Europe does not lack talent, impressive companies and success stories. In Lithuania alone, we have a number of them: be it Nord Security or Vinted or carVertical. Each one is a success story. But as they grew up, they had to jump across different barriers. Well, there cannot be our single market – what is our greatest achievement – fragmented and you meet 27 differ…

7

Jul

2026

EN Speech

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Urgent measures to strengthen the competitiveness and safeguard quality jobs in the EU’s automotive sector (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues. Europe's automotive sector means more than 13 million jobs. And of course, it's one of our industrial engines. But clearly, that engine cannot run on nostalgia. The market is changing fast, and one in five cars that has been sold in the EU this year is already battery electric. So our task is clear: to make sure that this transition happens first of …

6

Jul

2026

LT Speech

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Air passenger rights (debate)

Mr President, colleagues. First of all, I am very proud of the fact that we managed to unblock this file, because when an initiative is submitted 13 years ago and the process takes 13 years, it sounds like absurd. On the other hand, we can welcome the fact that this lengthy process has allowed us to see the evolution of the aviation sector in the European Union and the unfair practices that we hav…

17

Jun

2026

LT Speech

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Protecting EU citizens’ data from hybrid threats: the Lithuanian case (topical debate)

16

Jun

2026

EN Speech

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Achieving digital sovereignty and resilience for Europe, in light of recent developments affecting access to advanced AI technologies (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the recent restrictions on access to Anthropic's latest AI models should be a final call for Europe to wake up because this is exactly how digital dependence looks like. Whatever the exact security concerns, the political lesson is very clear. A technology that European companies, researchers and public authorities may need tomorrow, it might be ju…

20

May

2026

EN Speech

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Reviewing the ETS system to support European competitiveness (topical debate)

Mr President, in this debate I've heard a lot of accusations and very little numbers. It's like partying wild the whole night, and then in the morning feeling bad and blaming a cookie. Because if you look at the ETS, it's actually responsible for less than 10 % of the electricity price. And many of you said that the ETS collects huge revenues, but you never said where those revenues actually go. I…

20

May

2026

LT Speech

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High time to deliver on the Single Market, providing certainty and predictability for EU businesses and quality jobs (continuation of debate)

Mr President, colleagues. The single market is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the European Union. You've heard a lot of numbers today. How much of that potential is still being exploited by the single market, especially in these difficult times – more than €300 billion a year. Approximately 2% The European Union's GDP is simply not taken. And all this is growth, jobs, investment, …

27

Apr

2026

LT Speech

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Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank Group – annual report 2024 (debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner. Well, first of all, the 2024 report of the European Investment Bank shows impressive figures. More than 68 billion euros were invested, of which almost 450 million were invested in Lithuania, i.e. 0.6%. Lithuania's GDP, and these funds reached over 1,500 Lithuanian companies. It sounds impressive, but we still have to measure not only those absolute fig…

11

Mar

2026

EN Speech

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Building Europe's clean, independent and secure energy following the 2026 North Sea Summit (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, Europe used to talk about energy mainly in terms of market and prices. Today, we clearly understand: energy policy is a security policy. Energy keeps our homes warm and our industries running, and when Russia weaponised gas, we saw how dependence can be used against Europe. That is why cooperation on clean energy today matters so much. When European …

11

Feb

2026

EN Speech

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Urgent actions to revive EU competitiveness, deepen the EU Single Market and reduce the cost of living - from the Draghi report to reality (debate)

Madam President, colleagues, Commissioner, last year Mario Draghi told us something uncomfortable: Europe is drifting and not running. He reminded us that our companies pay energy prices two or three times higher than their competitors in the US – and that is not an abstract statistic; that is, at the end of the day, the difference between investing here in Europe or actually leaving. And we have …

10

Feb

2026

EN Speech

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European response to the attacks on the Ukrainian energy system causing a humanitarian crisis (debate)

Mr President, Russia is a terrorist state. It's deliberately bombing Ukrainian heating facilities, water‑cleaning facilities, leaving people without heating, without water, without availability to switch on the light, while outside there is -27°C. And it is all done deliberately, strategically. These strikes are strategic and are designed to freeze Ukrainian people into submission and to weaken Eu…

21

Jan

2026

LT Answer

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Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania (debate)

Thank you, Vytenis, for your question. Again, LRT leaders basically responded to these attempts to politicize, but I will say it very simply: These are all within the framework of existing laws. That's one. And secondly, I think that the law applies to everyone, as well as the LRT. And if you, Vyteni, sincerely want to correct the rule of the LRT, you could have gathered that working group, which …

21

Jan

2026

EN Answer

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Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania (debate)

Thank you very much for your question. I think the fundamental principles on which independent Lithuania was built are democratic principles, and one of them is the freedom of speech. So therefore I will always say that media freedom, freedom of speech has to be separated from the politicians. And yes, this is not a truly nice moment to talk about my great country, but that's the reality on the gr…

21

Jan

2026

LT Answer

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Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania (debate)

I honestly think he's not overwhelmed by the Conservatives. Dear Peter, for me this is a fundamental principle that the media and especially the national broadcaster must be separated from any possible interference and manipulation by politicians. And it does not matter who is in power – Social Democrats with anti-Semitic Remigijus Žemaitaitis, Conservatives, Democrats, it does not matter. Media f…

21

Jan

2026

LT Speech

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Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania (debate)

Mr President, colleagues. Well, let's face it, no one is happy to stand here and discuss the threats to democracy in our country. And not only the attempt to politicize, take over the national broadcaster is a threat to democracy in our country. The foundations of democracy that our parents and grandparents have won – and most recently we mentioned 13 January – are based primarily on trust in the …

21

Jan

2026

LT Question

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Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania (debate)

Dear Vytenis, I respect you very much as a politician, but I feel that you are very ugly manipulating here. You picked up the ratings for 2025, which obviously did not really appreciate the nightly reforms that the rulers are still trying to implement. So what do you think, if the order of dismissal were changed, would Lithuania remain at the same high level in those media freedom rankings where, …

20

Jan

2026

EN Speech

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Air passenger rights (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, when you buy a plane ticket, you expect just a few simple things. First of all, you always wish to arrive on time. Secondly, have at least a small bag with your personal belongings. And then, of course, if you purchase a ticket with your family, you want to sit next to your children without a surcharge. And finally, if you have a disability, you must rece…

17

Dec

2025

EN Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 18-19 December 2025, in particular the need to support Ukraine, transatlantic relations and the EU’s strategic autonomy (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the European Council will be a real test of our credibility on Ukraine, on solidarity, and most importantly, on whether Europe can take responsibility when it matters. The Russian frozen assets are held across Europe. They are mainly in Belgium, but also in countries like France or Luxembourg. And this is not Belgium's or those countries' problem; it is…

16

Dec

2025

LT Speech

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Continuous Belarusian hybrid attacks against Lithuania (debate)

16

Dec

2025

EN Answer

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EU Defence Readiness (joint debate)

Thank you very much for your question. So there is enough for you to find publicly in the media which parties accepted bribes from Russia, which parties' campaigns were fuelled by Russian money. There are plenty – and unfortunately it's not targeted just at one Member State. If you want me to share this media news with you, I am happy to do that.…

16

Dec

2025

EN Speech

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EU Defence Readiness (joint debate)

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, clearly it's a sad day when you have radical parties that were fuelled by Russian money, have taken bribes from Russia, today quoting the United States' national security strategy. But that's the reality we have to accept, and send a clear message that without military mobility, without deterrence, we will be functioning as 27 separate systems. We canno…

16

Dec

2025

EN Speech

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Phasing out Russian natural gas imports and improving monitoring of potential energy dependencies (debate)

Madam President, dear colleagues, let me start by, first of all, thanking the Commission for putting this brave proposal on the table. Let me thank our rapporteurs for their great work and also the advisers, I know that they worked tirelessly and very hard to finalise this file. Today, Europe makes a choice about who we are and what we will no longer accept, because for decades, our energy system …

26

Nov

2025

LT Speech

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EU response to the continuous airspace violations and sabotage of critical infrastructure in the EU originating from Russia and Belarus (debate)

26

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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EU position on the proposed plan and EU engagement towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, let us be very clear: the so‑called peace plan is not a peace plan at all. It forces Ukraine to concede territory, forgives war crimes such as rape, killings of civilians, 20 000 abducted children, and just rewards the aggressor. It can be called a business plan. But here in Europe, we do not sell our dignity and freedom. It also can be seen as …

25

Nov

2025

EN Speech

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European Defence Industry Programme and a framework of measures to ensure the timely availability and supply of defence products (‘EDIP’) (debate)

Madam President, dear Commissioner, colleagues, while society and cities in Ukraine still bear the scars of Russian aggression, the world debates peace plans in which Europe has no seat, no say and no signature. When decisions about our continent are made without us, one truth becomes painfully clear: we are at a time where, unfortunately, you are either at the table or on the menu. This is why Eu…