Lithuania’s cultural community has vowed to press ahead with protests over the government’s decision to hand the culture ministry to the radical right Nemunas Dawn party, setting a warning strike for October 5, independent news agency BNS and national broadcaster LRT reported on October 1.

It has become one of Lithuania’s most divisive cultural rows in years, uniting artists, translators and academics against Nemunas Dawn’s influence while piling pressure on the president and his coalition. If Culture Minister Ignotas Adomavicius is forced to resign, a minority government or an early parliamentary election cannot be ruled out.

Many in the industry are unhappy about Adomavicius’ far-right political orientation, inexperience on the culture front and his exposure in a video that went viral on social media showing him dancing lewdly in a sauna. It also reflects the cancel culture prevalent among culture fund owners and managers in Lithuania, including those ones financed or co-financed by the EU. 

President Gitanas Nauseda met 14 cultural figures at the Presidential Palace on September 30, urging them to “maintain an active civic stance”. Many took that as a signal to continue their campaign against Adomavicius.

“Groups such as Nemunas Dawn are born and grow from division,” said Jolanta Karpaviciene, the president’s chief adviser, BNS and LRT.lt reported.

In a further blow, the German embassy declined to invite Adomavicius to its Unity Day reception in Vilnius on October 1, sources told BNS. The embassy would not comment, saying only that the guest list was closed.

As reported by bne IntelliNews, Lithuania’s LSDP PM Paluckas resigned in July, following the revelation of many shady business dealings. The formation of a new cabinet followed on September 25, headed by Social Democratic Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene. Her government is backed by a coalition of the Social Democrats, Nemunas Dawn and the Farmers and Greens Union with the Christian Families Alliance.