Sees the sea from afar
LRT reported that more than 200 politicians, civil servants, and other public figures declared foreign assets worth over 23 million euros. Among them was Ramūnas Vyžintas, a social democrat elected to the Seimas from Panevėžys.
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At that time, the politician did not disclose exactly where he bought an apartment worth nearly 136 thousand euros in 2023. His wife declared the same asset value. However, now the parliamentarian spoke more openly about the family purchase.
“Yes, a few years ago, together with my spouse, after a long search and consideration, we bought a 90 square meter traditional apartment in a block of flats, not an apartment suite. We found it through a local agency in a small town near Malaga,” said R. Vyžintas.
The Panevėžys native said that although the settlement is located by the Mediterranean Sea, the block of flats with a pool and paddle courts stands further away from it.
“Definitely not on the seashore. The Mediterranean Sea, more precisely – its part, the Alboran Sea, can be seen from afar, but only from a fairly large terrace belonging to the apartment,” said the Seimas member.
Spaniards are similar to Lithuanians
R. Vyžintas revealed that the apartment, besides a spacious terrace, has a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms.
“We started considering an apartment in warm regions about three or four years ago. It’s no secret that not only politicians consider and realize such possibilities – many Lithuanians buy real estate, especially in Spain. This has been a recent ‘trend’,” said the parliamentarian.
According to him, the choice was influenced not only by the warm climate but also by the Spanish lifestyle.
“Spain’s gross domestic product surpasses Lithuania’s by only a few positions, and since Spaniards, like Lithuanians, like to cook at home, the basket of essential groceries is very similar to ours. We are also very similar to Spaniards in mentality,” explained R. Vyžintas.
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Asked whether he considered buying a property in Tenerife, popular among Lithuanians, the Seimas member said the island seemed less attractive to him.
“Compared to mainland Spain, Tenerife is a fairly small area, so after a few years of living there, it would no longer be interesting because it’s easy to explore in a short time. On the other hand, it is crowded with tourists all year round, and flights to the island are both long and expensive. Malaga can be reached in a few hours, for example, for 45 euros,” said the politician.
The apartment is not for rent
Before his political career, R. Vyžintas worked in business since 1993. According to the parliamentarian, over many years his family has accumulated enough funds to purchase real estate in Lithuania and abroad.
Currently, a person close to the parliamentarian, who is not public in society, lives in the property. R. Vyžintas emphasized that the apartment is not rented out and will not be used for rent in the future either.
“Definitely the apartment is not for rent. We bought a home that meets the family’s needs. Every month we pay two real estate taxes from our own funds – to the municipality and the state, as well as other taxes. I myself fly a couple of times a year for a few days to rest and relax. I can’t do it more often because I need permission to leave Lithuania,” said the Seimas member.
Other parliamentarians also bought properties abroad
Recently, the LRT Investigations Department announced that three more Seimas members last year purchased real estate in resorts in Spain, Italy, and Bulgaria for nearly 800 thousand euros.
The most expensive purchase was a flat near Barcelona by conservative Dainius Kreivys and his wife, costing 690 thousand euros. “Nemuno aušra” representative Karolis Neimantas bought an apartment on the Bulgarian coast for 85 thousand euros, and the chairman of the Seimas Audit Committee, Artūras Zuokas, added a plot worth 18 thousand euros to his real estate portfolio in Riposto, Sicily.
