After rejecting Paluckas, PM Skvernelis found some time for Landsbergis

On Tuesday the Prime Minister (PM) Saulius Skvernelis stated that he is not going to meet the new Social Democrat leader Gintautas Paluckas as soon as possible. However, he did find time for a meeting with Gabrielius Landsbergis, the leader of Conservatives that are in the opposition.

„This means that the PM is frustrated or maybe that is just an explosion of emotions, but as I have said before, not everyone can allow themselves to be emotional and let personal things to affect them in politics – not everyone can have this luxury. I look at everything in a simple way, I am not going to lose my crown if he won’t see me today, this or the next week, and we will meet eventually as it is a common issue for the coalition. However, we will invite him into our political group if he does not invite me” – spoke G. Paluckas on Tuesday in regards to the PM’s statement.

G. Paluckas stated that he is a simple man who does not see a problem if he’s disregarded. However, he emphasized that he will not tolerate if the same is done with the party. “If S. Skvernelis wants to say that he needs a new coalition as the existing one is not acceptable, he can say it straight to my face. However, the relationships regarding the coalition will be discussed with the political group Farmers and Greens, especially Ramūnas Karbauskis, because the PM was appointed by the coalition itself.” – explained G. Paluckas.

Even though G. Paluckas says that the PM’s opinion, status and public support are important, but the formation of the coalition was a political decision. “Both parties, Farmers Greens and Social Democrats, are responsible for this Government. We will not be partners who do not have a face or a voice in the coalition”

He found time to meet G. Landsbergis.

On Tuesday, the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrat leader G. Landsbergis has confirmed to DELFI that he had met S. Skvernelis at the Parliament and talked for “a longer time”. During the meeting they talked about the new commission on innovations in the Parliament, whose establishment was proposed by the Conservatives.

G. Landsbergis also claimed that the meetings with S. Skvernelis are not periodic.

How does G. Landsbergis evaluate S. Skvernelis statement that he is not planning to meet G. Paluckas as soon as possible?

“What is more strange to me is that on Mondays conference with DELFI, G. Paluckas stated that he is not going to support neither the Labour Code, nor the reform of forest enterprises, and that the Government might need to ask the Conservatives for support in here. This seemed strange to me because I imagine that this might spark the fire that everyone is talking about. Is the ruling Government and the ruling majority functioning, is there support if there is no support for the main reforms?”- wondered G. Landsbergis.

In his opinion, anything can happen to the coalition if G. Paluckas will stick to his formula and won’t support the reforms.

G. Paluckas remembered that he had previously advised the PM to look for support inside the coalition instead of outside of it, which was his reaction to the meeting between S. Skvernelis and Gabrielius Landsbergis on Tuesday.

A. Sysas: the PM missed an opportunity to stay silent

Algirdas Sysas, who is the vice-chairman of the Social Democrats, said that he does not know the whole situation, but he believes that he had an opportunity to stay silent and did not use it.
“It was an opinion to stay silent” – said the politician.

“I believe that eventually we will have to continue living and working. What do Jews teach their children? They say: when you are climbing to the top, raise your eyes and say help to the ones, who are climbing down. Because eventually you will be the one climbing down. However, when we are climbing to the top, we tend to forget those who are standing below us. I do not make an issue out of that, but I do find it weird and funny” – added A. Sysas.

The politician stated that G. Paluckas and S. Skvernelis are bound to meet as there will be a joint political group of Social Democrat and Farmers and Greens Union meeting on Wednesday.
What might be the aim of this action of the PM? “I have no idea, he has a sense of humour, but not everyone can understand dark humour” – wondered the politician.

“There is simply no need to demonstrate power” – summed up A. Sysas.