Members of the parliament were harshly criticized for misusing their personal expense accounts to cover language lessons and attending basketball games in Poland.

VILNIUS — The bad press must’ve caught up with them.

After being strongly criticized for extravagant purchases with their taxpayer-funded personal expense accounts in 2009, records show that Lithuania’s lawmakers paid heed with their on-the-job travel bills.

Figures from the Seimas bookkeeping department show that parliament members were more prudent with their expense accounts over 2009 than the previous year, using around a third less on travel expense accounts. The savings will return around half a million litai (€145,000) to the budget.

In 2008, members of Lithuania’s parliament cashed in around 1.5 million litai (€434,000) on travel and business expenses, but during the first 11 months of 2009, only 913,000 litai (€264,000) was claimed.

It was reported by local media that many parliamentarians didn’t claim any travel expenses during the year while others only requested reimbursement one or two times.

Last year’s biggest travelers were members of the Seimas’ European Affairs Committee.

President of the Parliamentary Delegation of the European Council Emanuelis Zingeris topped the reimbursement list with 19 items over four trips.

Deputy Chairman of the Seimas Algis Kašėta said the parliament has had to justify their expenses this year and that they have been scrutinizing more carefully. He added that most of the expenses were only used when necessary.

Some savings for the Seimas came from withdrawing membership from some international organizations. Leaving the Inter-Parliamentary Union, for example saved the budget the organization’s annual fee of 100,000 litai (€28,900).

Parliamentarian Audronius Ažubalis warned however that leaving these international organizations would “reflect on the prestige of the state.”

This year, the country’s active participation in the Council of Europe, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly will be examined to see if further cuts are possible.

In November the parliament voted to cut the spending limit of Seimas expense accounts for 2010 down one-third form the previous year.