Vilnius an embarassing European Culture Capital

In a few weeks' time the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius will become the European Capital of Culture, but according to the daily Lietuvos Rytas it is hardly presenting itself in a favourable light at the moment. "The German TV station ARD decided to conduct interviews with three well-known personalities here: our homophobic mayor, an anti-Semitic publisher and the president of the sports federation, who insulted a black basketball player. The mayor promptly fulfilled ARD's expectations, saying that he didn't mind a few blacks walking through the streets of Vilnius, but he drew the line at gays - this from the head of the future European Capital of Culture. ... The capital of a state in which literature [as of January 1st when new VAT legislation enters force] is put on an equal footing with alcohol, gas and oil simply doesn't deserve the title of European Capital of Culture."

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