The European Parliament elections and the first round of presidential elections will be held this Sunday. However, we can already notice one of the main, if not the main result of the three election, municipal, presidential and European Parliament, election cycle, Vytautas Bruveris writes in lrytas.lt
The result – the storks are leaving us and returning to Naisiai.
The Farmers party ruling regime, having already been rolling down a bumpy downhill, is gaining greater momentum, which looks to only increase. What could turn it away from this road to a pit in the 2020 Seimas elections is unclear.
This can even be guessed if this company manages to symbolically eke out a win in the European Parliament elections or at least manage to remain on the prize podium.
Another important and likely crucial result is the direction and metamorphosis into a lame duck of the stork in chief – R. Karbauskis. What else could the Farmer party landslide and categorical decision to remain in power without even awaiting the European Parliament elections mean?
Even if R. Karbauskis was simply playing pre-electoral games that he thinks are cunning with his dire warnings of withdrawal from power and did not really intend to withdraw, his subordinates strictly and clearly disciplined him – from now on, even such games will not be permitted to him.
No holy place is left empty
And with S. Skvernelis’, who it appears will remain prime minister, positions growing even stronger, as well as his ambitions to become the main leader, the Farmer party waggon should begin shaking even more violently.
Thus, we already have competition of who will occupy the throne of the country’s first party and will obtain the first hand rights to form a government after the 2020 Seimas elections.
After some recovery in the municipal elections, will the Social Democrats be able to regain the voters taken from them by the Farmers party and at the same time the title of queen of parties?
So far, the answer to this question is more likely to be negative.
After all, the party has no new leaders or ideas how to obtain new momentum.
The only hope for the left wing is ever increasing self-compromising and erosion of the Farmers party, but this may not be enough.
Perhaps a new anti-establishment movement will emerge and become a new star?
A new populist party?
There doesn’t seem to be one on the horizon just yet though.
Thus, far more realistic pretenders to the main trophy seem to be the Conservatives. The party’s potential for new momentum also looks uninspiring.
This is why the second round of presidential elections has such decisive significance.
If the Conservatives conquer the Presidential Palace, their chances to finally corner the “Farmers” and overall secure poll positions prior to next year’s Seimas elections are greatly improved.
This is why the truly personal struggle between I. Šimonytė and G. Nausėda leading up to the second round is becoming so fierce.
G. Nausėda is being assaulted by the Conservatives from a number of angles and one must admit, they are doing it quite competently.
On one hand, he is portrayed as not only a potentially suspect figure, using suspect funding in a suspect manner, but also a potential agent of large business structures’ influence. This is a message to all voters.
Second, especially for voters, who are against the right wing and did not vote for G. Nausėda in the first round, the Conservatives’ target their own revelations how supposedly he sought their support and is even their second man in the race.
Thus, the signal being sent by the Conservatives and part of the Liberals to their supporters is that G. Nausėda is not just a populist, but even a potential secret “Farmer” agent.
G. Nausėda retorts with equal questions on I. Šimonytė‘s suspect financing and furthermore, hopes that active involvement by Conservative leaders in the final struggle will only serve to harm his rival, who based her campaign on a non-partisan stance and “independence.”
If G. Nausėda does become president nevertheless, there may be even more business with the Conservatives and there will be even less love lost between them than now.
And this no doubt means that the right wing may even have to fight against the Presidential Palace. Thus, the ending electoral campaign for one election may only be the prelude to a new one and an even fiercer one at that.
All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the Lithuania Tribune