The politician, who has faced criticism over this matter, insists that an assessment will be carried out to determine whether the expenditure on the community festival was excessive.
The minister announced this on Thursday morning on the social media platform Facebook.
„The Ministry of National Defence employs people from whom we demand efficiency, speed and dedication in achieving our objectives. The minister does not draft contracts, negotiate, carry out procurement, amend procedures and legislation, implement new solutions, or enforce requirements. Staff do this in their day-to-day work, while the political leadership strives to assist, support, set the tone, and provide leadership. After all, politicians come and go, but the people carry on working,“ wrote Kaunas.
Susiję straipsniai
„I am convinced that the goals and requirements we all set can only be achieved with a motivated team that can view tasks not from an institutional perspective – ‘not my department’s concern’ – but collectively. Focus together on the task at hand, without counting hours or looking at job titles. Employees of the Ministry of National Defence, like all employees in Lithuania, must have high-quality, modern working conditions, a motivating environment and a sense of community. I am convinced that we cannot motivate people with a stick alone,“ he noted.
Kaunas said that when he took over as head of the Ministry of National Defence, he found it „divided and tense“.
„Different departments often engage in self-preservation rather than seeking quicker solutions. Politicians have also spoken about this. I am not talking about ministers, deputy ministers, chancellors or advisers – I am talking about several hundred staff members within the system,“ noted the Social Democrat.
However, the minister acknowledged that, when organising the community event, „not everything was properly calculated and assessed“.
„Nevertheless, I understand the times we live in, the tensions and the timing of the political season. It seems that not everything was properly calculated and assessed when organising the community event. I have already conveyed my comments to the team. Although I maintain that the Ministry of National Defence community is entitled to its own event, just like any other modern Western institution, I have already instructed the team to review the budget, assess the costs and provide me with the figures. Together, we will assess whether the expenditure is excessive, given the current climate and public concern,“ he promised, emphasising that this is not intended to intimidate anyone.
„The aim is to ensure that the ministry’s measures for motivating and incentivising staff do not exceed the standards set by the public. Although this is not a personal celebration for the administration or management – which changes every few years – we must listen to the public and maintain a balance,“ he noted.
Mr Kaunas also mentioned that other measures to improve the efficiency of the ministry’s staff will be implemented – digitalisation, project management, risk management and incentive schemes.
„It is important to me that the people at the ministry, who will remain in their posts for many years to come, work in a focused manner, united in pursuit of a common goal, rather than each person looking out only for their own needs. It is important to me that the ministry becomes an attractive employer and can compete for talent. It is equally important to me to maintain a sensible balance and to listen to criticism.
We will review the amounts, set limits and introduce stricter internal procedures regarding incentive schemes, whilst bearing in mind that it is, after all, people who carry out the day-to-day work,“ he concluded.
EUR 47,559 – that was the total cost of the aforementioned celebration. Almost the entire sum came from the ministry’s budget, whilst the staff themselves had to ‘chip in’ a few thousand. Such spending, at a time when huge sums of money are being allocated to Lithuania’s security while the geopolitical situation continues to deteriorate, did not go down well with everyone. Upon learning how much the party would cost, some ministry staff decided not to attend.
Ministry of National Defence staff who spoke to Lrytas on condition of anonymity said that this year’s celebration was considerably more lavish than in previous years. Last year, when the Social Democrat Dovilė Šakalienė still headed the ministry, such an event was cancelled altogether, whilst in previous years, when the Conservatives were at the helm of the Ministry of National Defence, celebrations took place only on the ministry’s premises, on appropriate occasions and at a cost several times lower.
This year, the event took place at a prestigious venue in the capital – Vilnius Tower Square. The initial budget, seen by Lrytas, states that venue hire cost EUR 5,100, catering services – EUR 12,000, the moderator’s fees – EUR 1,500 euros, the services of one musical act (Baltos Varnos) – EUR 1,452, a second (Donatas Montvydas) – EUR 7,865, and a performance by the illusionist (Antonas Lavrentjevas) – EUR 2,178.
Technical set-up services cost a further EUR 1,800; sound, lighting hire and technical support services cost over EUR 4,300; the hire of a covered stage and related maintenance services cost over EUR 3,500; and over EUR 5,600 was spent on event organisation, coordination and programme development services. These included costs for event assistants, setting up a photo booth, a DJ and so on.
A further EUR 4,500 was listed under unforeseen expenses, and EUR 400 was allocated for souvenirs. In addition, the staff themselves had to pay an extra EUR 15 each, for which they received two alcoholic drinks each. If they wanted more, they had to pay out of pocket as well.
The ministry’s own Budget and Finance Department drew attention to this initial estimate (totalling 50,364 euros) and urged the Ministry to scale back its plans. The department emphasised that EUR 50,000 is several times more than had previously been allocated for such celebrations.
It was noted that 200 staff members were invited to the event, meaning that catering services alone would cost EUR 60 per person. This amount was deemed unreasonably high for an internal ministry party.
The request to reduce costs was taken into account, but not to a great extent – as ministry representatives told Lrytas, the final budget for the event was EUR 47,559, of which EUR 44,994 was covered by the Ministry of National Defence’s funds, with the remainder paid for by the event participants themselves.
The ministry did not specify how or to whom it allocated this money. It also did not address the question of the funds collected from staff.
„On 10 September 2026, an event entitled ‘Ministry of National Defence Community Gathering’ was held in Bokšto Square (6 Bokšto Street, Vilnius) for Ministry of National Defence staff. It was organised to strengthen mutual ties, cooperation, and a sense of community among the Ministry’s staff.
The activities of the Ministry of National Defence cover many different areas, and staff deal with complex issues daily that require close coordination; therefore, the opportunity for staff from different departments to meet in an informal setting, get to know their colleagues better and establish direct links contributes to smoother cooperation and more productive task delivery.
Such meetings also strengthen staff engagement, organisational culture and a sense of community. „This is the only event of its kind held for Ministry of National Defence staff each year,“ ministry representatives said, describing the event's purpose.
They also noted that around 200 staff members from the Ministry of National Defence and the General Affairs Department under the Ministry attended.
In an internal memo seen by Lrytas, the Ministry of National Defence’s Budget and Finance Department also reiterated the Government’s requirement for ministries to economise and to use available funds economically and efficiently. It was emphasised that in 2023 and 2024, similar celebrations cost 6,000 and around 14,000 euros, respectively.
Ministry staff who contacted Lrytas testified that similar celebrations had previously been considerably more modest; they took place at the ministry or in its courtyard on Šv. Ignoto Street, where the public section of the library of the General Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy is located.
Ministry of National Defence staff emphasised that informal get-togethers are important, but questioned whether a celebration of this scale was really necessary at such a time. According to them, some of the entertainment was excessive, including a magic show and even three musical performances.