This was confirmed by the Liberal Movement faction press representative Marijus Gailius to 15min.
According to unofficial data, J. Šuklinas suddenly collapsed at his homestead on Thursday, and the medics who arrived later tried to resuscitate him, but unsuccessfully.
It is assumed that the 40-year-old may have suffered a heart attack.
As BNS reports, the parliamentarian died suddenly after his health deteriorated. A month and a half ago, the media reported that after returning from vacation, where he contracted a virus, the man underwent surgery due to a developed infection. He was also diagnosed with pneumonia.
Athlete and politician
J. Šuklinas was born on November 23, 1985, in Russia, graduated from Mykolas Romeris University with a degree in public administration, and earned a master’s degree.
Before his political career, he was a long-time Lithuanian canoeist, an Olympic silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics. However, this title was later stripped from him after it was recognized that the athlete used doping.
The athlete and politician was also a multiple winner and prize-winner of world and European championships.
J. Šuklinas served as a member of the Visaginas municipality council for a decade (2014-2024), and in 2023 he even became acting mayor.
In 2022, the politician became a member of the Liberal Movement, and in 2024 he was elected to the Seimas.
He was also involved in organizing sports events, headed the association “Šuklinas Olympic Sports Club,” which supports young athletes, organizes competitions and sports activities, and trains professional athletes.
State leaders and comrades express condolences
Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas, who learned about the politician’s death on Thursday evening, expressed condolences.
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“I express my condolences. It is unimaginable. A young, strong as an oak, excellent, sociable person who experienced victories and joys in life but remained very open-hearted. It does not matter that we had different views on a party level, but we always communicated… and here – like thunder from a clear sky,” said the Seimas Speaker to 15min.
According to J. Olekas, preliminary information indicates that J. Šuklinas was found collapsed near beehives at his homestead.
Social Democratic Party chairman Mindaugas Sinkevičius also expressed condolences on the death of Jevgenijus Šuklinas.
“I sincerely sympathize with his family, relatives, friends, comrades, and everyone who knew him,” M. Sinkevičius posted on Facebook on Thursday evening.
The Social Democrats’ leader wished the late politician’s family “strength and peace.”
Conservative leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas says he will remember the late parliamentarian Jevgenijus Šuklinas as an Olympian and a friendly colleague in the Seimas who cared deeply about Visaginas affairs.
“To me, he is our Olympian, medalist. What happened afterward does not matter to me. He was a person I was very proud of,” L. Kasčiūnas told BNS on Thursday evening.
“A very friendly, always smiling, truly great colleague. My deepest sincere condolences to the relatives, especially the family, a cruel tragedy. Strength and eternal rest to him. I also sympathize with the Liberal Movement colleagues,” said the parliamentarian.
According to Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, Lithuania has lost a prominent person admired for his activity both in sports and politics, as stated in the Prime Minister’s condolence released to the media on Thursday evening.
“During this difficult time, I sincerely wish strength to Jevgenijus Šuklinas’s relatives and comrades,” I. Ruginienė said in the condolence.
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