dpa
Riga
The newly elected parliament in Lithuania has convened for its first session amid protests over the formation of the new government.
The members of the Seimas parliament took their oath of office on Thursday, around two and a half weeks after elections in the Baltic EU and NATO country. The strongest force in the vote were the Social Democrats, who in a controversial move invited the nationalist and populist party Dawn of Nemunas in the coalition. The party came third in the election.
The party’s leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, is currently on trial for allegedly making anti-Semitic comments. Conservative and liberal lawmakers from the opposition walked out in protest when Žemaitaitis took his oath. The Social Democrats’ announced before the election that they would not allow the populist party to join the government, and their change of mind has led to international criticism.
The third partner in the government alliance is the Democratic Union of Lithuania, which provides the new parliamentary speaker in the person of former prime minister Saulius Skvernelis.