Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania party to be kicked out of government

“I can say that they will definitely not get any position in the government. I can guarantee that but let’s wait for the presidium meeting,” the prime minister told journalists on Monday ahead of the meeting of the Presidium of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania.

According to Butkevičius, the party’s presidium is expected to endorse his position ahead of the upcoming meeting of the ruling coalition’s political council on Tuesday.

“An energy minister from the LLRA will definitely not be appointed. And there will be no person delegated by them in my Cabinet who would be able to serve as energy minister. There cannot be two prime ministers, there cannot be ministers who do no follow the government programme,” the prime minister said, adding that the centre-left coalition would survive without the Polish party.

Disagreement in the ruling coalition was sparked by the decision of Energy Minister Jaroslav Neverovič, representing the LLRA, to yield to the party leader Valdemar Tomaševski‘s demand and re-appoint his controversial fellow party member Renata Cytacka as his deputy despite the prime minister’s objection. Butkevičius earlier said Cytacka was under-qualified for the position.

In response to Neverovič’s actions, Prime Minister Butkevičius asked President Dalia Grybauskaite to sack the energy minister, which she did.

The ruling coalition’s political council is convening for a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the existing situation.

The ruling block in Lithuania consists of four parties, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, the Labour Party, the Order and Justice party and the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania. It has 89 out of 141 members in the Seimas, and would have 81, if the LLRA left.