Into the elections under the flag of national spirit

The vision of MEP Valentinas Mazuronis, who has declared his intent to run for president, is a strong national state and civic society, forgoing excess prohibitions, reducing corruption and removing political intrigue. The politician believes that this could be achieved through three steps outlined in his programme, lzinios.lt writes.

Mazuronis, an independent candidate presented his electoral programme yesterday. “A free, thriving national Lithuanian state,” the politician offered a laconic summary. The politician explained he would travel across Lithuania in order to present his programme, he will interact with the people and listen to their opinions.

V. Mazuronis will be running for president for the second time now. In 2009, he, as all other candidates, was defeated by Dalia Grybauskaitė, who will be concluding her second term as president next year. V. Mazuronis assured Lietuvos Žinios that this time he is prepared far better and more seriously because he obtained various experiences over the decade. Furthermore, the politician believes that not all the problems he intends to rectify through his programme were as pertinent as today.

64-year-old V. Mazuronis is a veteran parliamentarian, former minister of the environment and now an MEP.

Basis – four pillars

During his electoral programme presentation yesterday V. Mazuronasi applauded the obvious achievements of independent Lithuania, however at the same time he stated he cannot fail to notice, what is happening in the country today. “I’ve no other way to describe this than that I am fed up with it. Fed up with the mocking attitude toward our state and a total expulsion of our nation. The best symbol of mocking the state is the crumbling Gediminas hill. And the stagnant national stadium. Finally – the bickering Seimas politicians, who are fighting among one another as if children in a sandbox, forgetting, why they were elected,” the MEP spoke.

He also said he had enough with the atmosphere of fear proliferating in the country, inadequate prohibitions, regulated law enforcement and government not being resistant to money. “I am fed up with corruption, poverty and inequality,” he stated. For the situation to change, the politician proposed three steps in his programme. Firstly – to strengthen the national state. Talks about a global or virtual Lithuania are none other than politicians’ efforts to excuse their inability to strengthen our state and halt the departure of its people. “The basis of the national state is four pillars: history, language, culture and education. Today they are all rather dilapidated. We must recreate and strengthen institutions, which make our statehood more secure – Lithuanian banks, Lithuanian airlines, railways, navy, forests and news media,” V. Mazuronis said.

The people must be heard

The second step for the state, the politician believes would be the removal of social inequality, atmosphere of fear and unmeasured prohibitions. “Let us free the courts and law enforcement from corruption. They cannot be regulated by neither government, nor money. The creation of political investigations is also corruption. We must be rid of excess bureaucracy, structures and even state blackmail. This is because it is a hydra, which is eating our country. If we do not decapitate it, believe me, it will consume us,” the presidential candidate cautioned.

The third step, which is to aid in seeking the first two goals is the creation of a civic society. “Enough fearing our own people. Let them initiate referenda, after all based on current law it is almost impossible,” the politician reminded. According to him, it is necessary to quickly raise wages, especially given the favourable economic conditions, rather than seek to reduce social segregation through slogans. “We must become the most appealing country in the region. How long can you continue empty talks? Let us tear apart the webs, which we have created ourselves, rather than creating new ones,” V. Mazuronis urged. He promised to accomplish all three goals outlined in the programme and be a president, who will “fight with fear, intrigue, social inequality and corruption for a thriving and civic society, happy citizens living in Lithuania.” The politician believes that he has sufficient experience, desire and capacities to be head of state. He explained that he is currently financing his own electoral campaign.

Expecting support

“I will certainly not accomplish the three goals on my own, what is necessary is both public and political support. I hope that is what will be because the questions I have raised are essential for Lithuania. It is clear that we risk a loss of identity, the state consuming itself from within. Furthermore, there is a myriad of various unmeasured prohibitions everywhere. Let us make these three steps and we will see – the air in Lithuania will become much easier to breathe. And this means that there will be ever more those wishing to live and invest in Lithuania,” V. Mazuronis told Lietuvos Žinios.

The presidential elections will be held on May 2019 in Lithuania. So far, Former diplomats Vygaudas Ušackas and Žygimantas Pavilionis have declared their intent to run for the office. They confirmed they plan to participate in the Conservative party primaries. MPs Naglis Puteikis and Aušra Maldeikienė have declared their intent to run for president some time earlier.

This coming weekend the Liberal Movement will elect its candidate in its party congress, with the main contenders being MEP Petras Auštrevičius and MP Arūnas Gelūnas. Other potential candidates are SEB bank economist Gitanas Nausėda, MP Ingrida Šimonytė, European Commissioner Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis; none of them has declared their intentions so far, however.