Stasys Jakeliūnas (born 2 October 1958) is a Lithuanian politician. He was formerly a Member of the European Parliament (EP) for the populist Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union.[1] Jakeliūnas has previously spent one incomplete term as MP at the Lithuanian Seimas, having been elected in 2016.
Stasys Jakeliūnas | |
|---|---|
| Member of European Parliament | |
| In office 2 July 2019 – 15 July 2024 | |
| Constituency | Lithuania |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 October 1958 Karaganda, Kazakh SSR |
| Nationality | Lithuanian |
| Political party | Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union |
| Children | Kostas Jakeliūnas |
Controversy
editPrior to his entry into politics as economic advisor to then-PM Algirdas Butkevičius Jakeliūnas was economist at Vilniaus taupomoji kasa, a credit union that became insolvent 3 years later[2]; he mentioned it was “to be expected”.
Jakeliūnas' EP election process roused accusations of electoral fraud. He was elected when Šarūnas Marčiulionis, a former basketball player with no political experience, won the EP seat for the party but instantly resigned and gave up his seat in favor of Jakeliūnas; it transpired Marčiulionis never intended to take his seat to start with.[3]
In 2019 Jakeliūnas was accused by governor of central Bank of Lithuania of asking to apply pressure on the fintech Revolut to leave Lithuania.[4]
In September 2020 Jakeliūnas abstained in the parliamentary vote on support for the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests, attracting criticism from prime minister Saulius Skvernelis of the Farmers and Greens Union.[5]
In December 2021 Jakeliūnas was among 6 MEPs punished for entering the parliament building without COVID-19 certificates in contravention of the rules in November 2021 which earned him the distinction of being added to Politico European Parliament's black book.[6][7]
In February 2022 Jakeliūnas abstained in the parliamentary vote on support to Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In his comments [8] to Lietuvos rytas he said that "support to Ukraine that does not take into account Russia's red lines is a danger to the entire world", "Russia is a nuclear state and cannot be won against", asked for consideration of Ukraine's "much closer historical, cultural, religious ties to Russia" than to Europe, and advocated neutrality for Ukraine. The Farmers and Greens Union distanced itself from Jakeliūnas position.[9]
In November 2022 Jakeliūnas abstained in the parliamentary vote declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism that succeeded by a majority of 494 against 58, with 44 abstentions.[10][11]
In February 2023 Jakeliūnas was interviewed by a YouTuber who had previously attracted attention in a public report from the State Security Department of Lithuania for his support for Russian propaganda, to whom he stated that questioning political status of Crimea was reminiscent of "fascistic methods" and proceeded to equate George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin as war criminals.[12] Later same week he stated to LRT that Russia had been "partly provoked" to invade Ukraine.[13]
In January 2024 Jakeliūnas expressed anti-Israeli statements bordering on anti-Semitic in a podcast[14].
In February 2024 Jakeliūnas defended an accused Russian spy and fellow MEP, Tatjana Ždanoka, condemning what he described as a “witch hunt akin to that in the Middle Ages[15].
Political career
editDuring his incomplete term as MP Jakeliūnas initiated the impeachment process of Mykolas Majauskas.
Jakeliūnas ran for mayor of Vilnius in March 2023; he came 12th with 2,965, or 1.34%, of the vote[16].
Having announced he will not run for another term at the European Parliament in November 2023 after losing support[17] of the LFGU, he changed his mind and ran in 2024 for the Party of the Regions, which received 5.25% of the votes and no seats[18].
Jakeliūnas plans[19] to participate in the October 2024 elections to the Seimas on the Labour Party list led by the Russian-born Viktor Uspaskich who in 2021 was expelled[20] from the Renew Europe group at the EP for calling LGBT people “perverts” who “must not be tolerated”.
In March 2024 the Labour Party was investigated[21] by Financial Crime Investigation Service and European Anti-Fraud Office regarding €0.5m of misappropriated EU funds. According to an investigation by Transparency International, Uspaskich was the highest-earning[22] MEP, pulling over €3m from “side gigs”. Uspaskich had in 2013 been given a 4-year jail term[23] for his role in appropriation of state funds by his Labour Party.
History of frivolous litigation
editIn 2021 Lithuanian courts refused to accept Jakeliūnas' defamation lawsuit against Vitas Vasiliauskas, governor of the central Bank of Lithuania.[24]
In 2021 General Court (European Union) declined to accept Jakeliūnas' lawsuit regarding alleged manipulation of the Vilibor interest rate.[25]
In 2022 Lithuanian courts reiterated refusal to accept Jakeliūnas' lawsuit against the foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis regarding alleged intimidation of the Lithuanian Constitutional Court.[26]
In 2022 Lithuanian courts reiterated their negative decision in Jakeliūnas' defamation lawsuit against Vitas Vasiliauskas.[27]
In February 2024 Jakeliūnas asked police to investigate Algis Ramanauskas, a media personality, for alleged hate speech against people holding views favoring life in the pre-1990 Soviet Lithuania[28].
References
edit- ^ "Home | Stasys Jakeliūnas | MEPs | European Parliament". europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "„Vilniaus taupomosios kasos" analitiku dirbęs premjero patarėjas: to buvo galima tikėtis". Lrt.lt. 8 September 2015.
- ^ "Marčiulioniui atsisakius mandato EP, politologas ir opozicijos lyderė prakalbo apie apgavystę". Lrt.lt. 28 May 2019.
- ^ "LB vadovas: S. Jakeliūnas siūlė paskatinti "Revolut" trauktis". Verslo žinios. 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Skvernelis įvertino Jakeliūno balsavimą EP dėl Baltarusijos: susilaikymas atrodo keistai". Delfi.lt. 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Six MEPs punished for entering parliament buildings without Covid Certificate". The Brussels Times. 15 December 2021.
- ^ "The European Parliament's black book". Politico. 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Per balsavimą dėl paramos Ukrainai susilaikęs S. Jakeliūnas sulaukė ir valstiečių kirčių: politikas laikosi savo įsitikinimų". Lrytas.lt. 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Prastos žinios Jakeliūnui – LVŽS atsiriboja nuo jo balsavimo dėl paramos Ukrainai". Delfi.lt. 26 February 2022.
- ^ "EU parliament declares Russia a 'state sponsor of terrorism'". Le Monde. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Balsavimas dėl Rusijos EP: Jakeliūnas susilaikė, Uspaskichas nedalyvavo". Delfi.lt. 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Jakeliūnas apie Ragelskiui duotą interviu: nesidomėjau nei jo biografija, nei ryšiais su Kremliumi". Delfi.lt. 15 February 2023.
- ^ "MEP claims Russia 'was partly provoked' to invade Ukraine". Delfi.lt. 15 February 2023.
- ^ "Ar Hamas įvykdyti nusikaltimai gali pateisinti tai, ką Izraelio valdžia vykdo Gazos ruože?". Youtube. 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Jakeliūnas neskuba smerkti Rusijos agente įvardintos Ždanokos: tai yra politiniai viduramžiai". Delfi.lt. 8 February 2024.
- ^ "2023 m. kovo 5 d. savivaldybių tarybų ir merų rinkimai (I turas)". Vrk.lt. 24 March 2023.
- ^ "Jakeliūnas europarlamentaro posto nebesieks – prarado Karbauskio palaikymą". Delfi.lt. 14 November 2023.
- ^ "2024 m. birželio 9 d. rinkimai į Europos Parlamentą". Vrk.lt. 16 June 2024.
- ^ "It becomes clear with whom Uspaskich shook hands: In the coalition formed – Puidokas, Tutkus, and Jakeliūnas. Couldn't reach an agreement with Gražulis". Lrytas.lt. 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Scandal, bullying and iconoclasm: How MEPs lost their political way". Euronews. 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Dėl ko vyko krata Darbo partijos būstinėje: galėjo būti pasisavinta pusė milijono ES lėšų". Delfi.lt. 29 March 2024.
- ^ "Lithuanian MEP Uspaskichas earns record €3m from side gigs". Lrt.lt. 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Teismas: Viktoras Uspaskichas turi kalėti 4 metus, Vitalija Vonžutaitė – 3, Marina Liutkevičienė – metus. Vytautas Gapšys atsipirko bauda, Darbo partija nebaudžiama". 15min.lt. 12 July 2013.
- ^ "Teismas atmetė S.Jakeliūno ieškinį V.Vasiliauskui dėl garbės ir orumo įžeidimo". 15min.lt. 14 April 2021.
- ^ "ES teismas nenagrinės Jakeliūno ieškinio Europos vertybinių popierių ir rinkų institucijai". Delfi.lt. 18 August 2021.
- ^ "Jakeliūno ieškinys Landsbergiui lieka atmestas". Delfi.lt. 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Teismas: Vasiliauskas nepažeidė Jakeliūno garbės ir orumo". Lrt.lt. 18 November 2022.
- ^ "Po S.Jakeliūno skundo policija pradėjo tyrimą dėl A.Ramanausko pasisakymų: kas užkliuvo?". 15min.lt. 14 February 2024.