Robertas Šarknickas

Robertas Šarknickas is married to a woman named Agnė, and they have two daughters, Patricija and Julija.

„Robertas sugebėjo... rado savo kelią, puoselėja šeimą, su žmona Agne augina vienuolikos metų Patriciją ir penkerių Juliją“

Robertas Šarknickas was born on 7 December 1974 in Kaunas, Lithuania.

„Date of birth | 7 December 1974 Place of birth | Kaunas, Lithuania“

He spent his childhood in orphanages in Šiauliai and Obeliai (Rokiškis district) after growing up without parents.

„vaikystė prabėgo vaikų globos namuose: Šiauliuose, Rokiškio r. Obeliuose“

Robertas Šarknickas is a teacher, theatre and film actor, director, and an Alytus city politician.

„Robertas Šarknickas (g. 1974 m. gruodžio 7 d. Kaune) – pedagogas, teatro ir kino aktorius, režisierius, Alytaus miesto politikas.“

In 1989, he completed studies at the Agricultural Technical School in Alanta, Molėtai District (now the Alanta School of Technology and Business).

„1989 | Agricultural Technical School in Alanta, Molėtai District (currently School of Technology and Business)“

He underwent a traineeship in the construction sector in Leipzig, Germany in 1996.

„1996 | Traineeship, construction sector, Leipzig, Germany“

He graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) as a stage and screen actor in 2003.

„2003 | Stage and Screen Actor, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre“

He obtained a teaching certificate in 2014.

„2014 | Certificate of Teacher“

He was an actor and stage director at the Alytus City Theatre from 1996 to 2003.

„1996–2003 | Actor and Stage Director, Alytus City Theatre“

From 2003 to 2015, he worked as a teacher at secondary schools in Alytus, including Šv. Benedikto Gymnasium and Adolfo Ramanausko-Vanago Gymnasium.

„2003–2015 | Teacher, Šv. Benedikto gimnazija (upper secondary school) and Adolfo Ramanausko-Vanago gimnazija (upper secondary school) in Alytus“

He served as the Chief Ethnographer at the Culture Centre of Alytus District from 2006 to 2009.

„2006–2009 | Chief Ethnographer, Culture Centre of Alytus District“

He was the director of the public film studio “VšĮ Kino studija A” from 2009 to 2014.

„2009–2014 | Company and Film Director, public company VšĮ kino studija A“

He has directed films and created nine documentary films.

„directing of films; creation of 9 documentaries“

He had an acting role in the Lithuanian feature film “Ekskursantė” (The Excursionist).

„acting in the film Ekskursantė (The Excursionist) and TV films“

From 2003 to 2015, he also worked as a teacher at Panemunė Secondary School in Alytus.

„Nuo 2003 m. iki 2015 m. dirbo mokytoju Alytaus Šv. Benedikto ir Adolfo Ramanausko - Vanago gimnazijose, Panemunės vidurinėje mokykloje“

He was a member of the Alytus City Municipal Council from 2015 to 2016.

„2015–2016 | Member, Alytus City Municipal Council“

He was re-elected and served as a Member of the Seimas from 2020 to 2024 (13th Seimas).

„Member of the Seimas from 11/13/2020 till 11/14/2024“

Since 2018 he has been a member of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS).

„Since 2018 | Member, Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union“

He has served as the Head of the Alytus City division of the LVŽS party since 2018.

„Since 2018 |... Head of Division, Alytus City Division of the Union“

He was a member of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) from 2006 until 2016.

„2006–2016 | Member, Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats“

He served as a Member of the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) during the 2016–2020 legislative term (12th Seimas).

„2016–2020 | Member of the 12th Seimas“

He served as Deputy Chair of the Seimas Committee on Culture from December 2020 until November 2024.

„12/17/2020 - 11/14/2024 | Committee on Culture, Deputy Chair“

He was a member of the Seimas Committee on Culture during the 2016–2020 term.

„Member, Committee on Culture“

He was Chair of the Seimas Commission for Suicide and Violence Prevention from 2018 to 2020.

„Chair, Commission for Suicide and Violence Prevention (2018–2020)“

He was a member of the Seimas Migration Commission from 2016 to 2018.

„Member, Migration Commission (2016–2018)“

He served as a member of the Seimas Commission for the Rights of People with Disabilities in 2017–2018.

„Member, Commission for the Rights of People with Disabilities (2017–2018)“

In the 2016 parliamentary elections, he won the Alytus single-member constituency (No. 30) with 60.99% of the vote (run-off).

„Alytaus (Nr. 30) rinkimų apygarda: Robertas Šarknickas 60,99 proc. (Lietuvos valstiečių ir žaliųjų sąjunga), Julius Sabatauskas 34,60 proc.“

He was re-elected to the Seimas in 2020 via the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union’s national party list.

„Nominated by: Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union; Elected: By list“

In the 2024 parliamentary elections, he ran in the Alytus single-member constituency, garnering only 11.62% of the vote and placing third, thus failing to secure a seat.

„Robertas Šarknickas surinko 11,62 proc. rinkėjų balsų ir liko trečias, taip neužsitikrindamas vietos naujai išrinktame Seime.“

He was a candidate in the 2024 elections to the European Parliament, appearing as number 8 on the LVŽS party list.

„ROBERTAS ŠARKNICKAS – Sąrašo nr. 8“

He ran for the position of Alytus city mayor in the March 2023 municipal elections as the LVŽS candidate, but received only about 3.6% of the vote (approximately 800 votes), failing to advance.

„Robertas ŠARKNICKAS | Lietuvos valstiečių ir žaliųjų sąjunga | 674 | 126 | 800 | 3,59% | 3,52% (Alytaus meras 2023 – meru išrinktas Nerijus Cesiulis)“

In the 2020 parliamentary elections, Šarknickas was listed 21st on the LVŽS national candidate list (after preferential voting he moved up to the 20th position). He did not win a single-member constituency seat that year, but entered the 13th Seimas via the party list, taking a mandate that became available when higher-ranked LVŽS candidates won in single-member districts.

„20 ROBERTAS ŠARKNICKAS (sąraše 21)… …T. Tomilinas, R. Baškienė, K. Mažeika, V. Ąžuolas ir G. Surplys laimėjo vienmandatėse apygardose, į Seimą pagal sąrašą atitinkamai patenka… Robertas Šarknickas…“

As a Member of the Seimas from 2016 to 2024, Šarknickas received a base parliamentary salary of approximately €2,183 per month “take-home,” which rose to about €3,781 net per month by 2024 after a pay reform.

„eilinio Seimo nario (neužimančio kitų pareigų) darbo užmokestis „į rankas“ didės nuo 2183 iki 3781 Eur“

During his teaching career in Alytus (2003–2015), his earnings were modest; in the mid-2010s a Lithuanian secondary school teacher’s average salary was on the order of €400–€500 per month net (estimated).

„Prienų „Revuonos“ pagrindinėje mokykloje mokytojas 2014 metais uždirbo 481 eurą neatskaičius mokesčių arba 383 eurus „į rankas““

Šarknickas’s annual asset declarations over the last decade show no extraordinary wealth – he has reported only ordinary personal assets (such as a family home, a car, and savings from his public sector pay) and no major business holdings or unusual income sources.

„Pažymime, kad kiekvieno Seimo nario atlyginimas priklauso nuo einamų pareigų parlamente… (eilinio Seimo nario … darbo užmokestis „į rankas“ didės nuo 2183 iki 3781 Eur)“

He was involved in a project of the Save the Children Lithuania organization in 2013–2014.

„implementation of the project by the public organisation Save the Children Lithuania (2013–2014)“

In November 2024, he announced that he was suspending his membership in the LVŽS, citing ongoing internal feuds (“bullying among leaders”) within the party.

„Kadenciją baigiantis parlamentaras Robertas Šarknickas stabdo narystę Lietuvos valstiečių ir žaliųjų sąjungoje (LVŽS). … patyčios tarp lyderių tapo svarbiau nei Lietuvos darbai“

On 12 January 2018, he skipped a Seimas plenary session to present his memoir “Šarkos sielos šauksmas” at an event in Anykščiai, where he sold copies of the book to attendees, raising questions about a conflict with his parliamentary duties.

„Anykščiuose pristatė savo knygą „Šarkos sielos šauksmas“ ir pardavinėjo jos egzempliorius, kai tuo metu vyko Seimo plenarinis posėdis.“

A 2018 Ethics and Procedures Commission inquiry found that Šarknickas had not declared any contracts or income related to the publication of his memoir (initially published by Versus aureus in 2015 and reprinted by Alma littera in 2017), potentially violating public interest disclosure rules.

„knyga „Šarkos sielos šauksmas“ buvo išleista 2015 m. leidyklos „Versus aureus“, o 2017 m. buvo pakartotinai išleista leidyklos „Alma litera“, tačiau Seimo narys R. Šarknickas savo privačių interesų deklaracijoje nėra nurodęs jokių sandorių su leidėjais, galimai pažeisdamas Viešųjų ir privačių interesų derinimo įstatymą“

An investigation by LRT in 2018 revealed that Šarknickas was a co-founder and officially still the head of the public film studio “Kino studija-A” in Alytus – a role he had not listed in his parliamentary interests declaration – though he contended that the studio had been inactive since he became an MP in 2016.

„„valstietis“ Robertas Šarknickas, kuris yra Alytuje įsteigtos viešosios įstaigos „Kino studija-A“ dalininkas ir vis dar oficialus vadovas. … „Oi, seniai laikinai uždaryta, kai tapau Seimo nariu prieš penkerius metus““

In 2018, Šarknickas was involved in a charity project distributing national folk costumes to children in Alytus (through Ramūnas Karbauskis’s “Švieskime vaikus” foundation), which led to a Central Electoral Commission (VRK) inquiry over potential hidden political campaigning. The VRK noted he took part in an event on 27 February 2018 at an Alytus kindergarten that was not listed in his official Seimas schedule.

„VRK darbo grupė konstatavo, kad 2018 m. vasario 27 d. R. Šarknickas dalyvavo projekte, nors oficialioje Seimo nario darbotvarkėje įrašų nebuvo…“

He won the Alytus City Culture Prize in 2006 and again in 2009.

„Awards: winner of the Culture Prize of Alytus City (2006, 2009)“

He produced the film “Nepalikit, prašau” (“Don’t Leave, Please”) about orphans, which was nominated for the Silver Crane award in 2009.

„producing of the film Nepalikit, prašau (Don’t Leave, Please) on orphans, nominated for the Sidabrinė gervė (Silver Crane) award (2009)“

He is the author of the memoir book “Šarkos sielos šauksmas” (“Magpie Soul’s Cry”), published in 2015.

„authoring of the book Šarkos sielos šauksmas (Magpie Soul’s Cry) (2015)“

He organized a photography exhibition titled “Ukraina mano akimis” (“Ukraine in My Eyes”) in 2004.

„organisation of the photography exhibition Ukraina mano akimis (Ukraine in My Eyes) (2004)“