Evaluating the concluding Seimas session – “Farmers” lied to the electorate

The first session of the new Seimas is coming to an end. However for now it would appear there have been more scandals and public fallings out than the promised positive changes. The LRT Television show Dėmesio Centre featured a discussion of what the majority has achieved in over 200 days with political analyst Rimvydas Valatka, LRT.lt portal chief editor Vladimiras Laučius and 15min.lt analyst Paulius Gritėnas.

According to R. Valatka, the “Farmers” forced much and critical talk about themselves from day one.

“Perhaps one of the most amusing things in this half a year’s events is the book by Greta Kildišienė. We’ve yet to have someone becoming a member of Seimas, media celebrity, then leaving Seimas and also becoming an author,” the analyst notes.

V. Laučius stresses that the voters have been disappointed by the “Farmers” as well. The proof of this is the “Farmers” declining ratings.

“The party promised to be more leftist than the Social Democrats, however what they are doing is by far not the promises we heard during the electoral campaign. The “Farmers” criticised the Labour Code, but now passed it with barely any change. The higher education reform also cannot be noted for its attention to the opinions of the academic community. The “Farmers” lied to their voters, S. Skvernelis policy is not the policy we were promised leading up to the elections,” V. Laučius explains.

According to the LRT.lt portal’s editor, the Prime Minister is acting as if he specifically wants the Seimas to block reform so he could take up the mantle of the wronged reformer and promise voters heaven on earth, if they elect him in the upcoming presidential election.

Analyst P. Gritėnas believes that the key problems of the current majority is a lack of strategy and communication, as well as a divide between Seimas and cabinet.

“A good example is that of Ramūnas Karbauskis is where the person presents a legislative project and then votes against it, even though it is unchanged. As a Prime Minister it is very difficult to cooperate with this sort of majority that does not know itself, what it wants,” stated P. Gritėnas.