L. Balsys critical of Lithuania’s approach to Astravyets N-Plant

Lithuanian Green Party Chairman Linas Balsys has expressed a number of critical remarks toward the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats the President Dalia Grybauskaitė. His criticisms mainly focus on the aforementioned and their efforts to oppose the construction of Russian-backed nuclear power plants in a number of locations in the region, specifically Kaliningrad and Astravyets, during a debate at an LRT studio in the National Library.

“It is necessary to start a dialogue; we can discuss among ourselves about the dangers of the Astravyets nuclear power plant (NPP) all we want, we can gather signatures, but it will elicit no reaction, unless there’s top level engagement with President Alexander Lukashenko with complaints and demands for information. Secondly it is necessary to start a constructive dialogue to discuss not nuclear, but alternative energy opportunities for Belarus,” states L. Balsys.

His criticism focuses on a narrative of the Conservatives not having much impact or interest in obstructing what is almost nuclear proliferation at the borders of Lithuania. Firstly he disputes the Conservative suggestion of being involved in the closing down of the Kaliningrad NPP project by suggesting that this occurred simply due to a lack of investment rather than any Lithuanian initiatives. As far as the Astravyets NPP is concerned he outlines that at the onset of the project during Conservative PM Andrius Kubilius’ term there was little concern over the project with apparently comparisons being made to a French NPP and its significance to Luxembourg.

Representatives from the Conservatives refute such assertions, further questioning whether such statements are not simply a means of getting back at the President (Linas Balsys departed from the President’s advisor team). They counter by pointing out the role of Balsys and his Lithuanian Green Party in opposing the Lithuanian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), in the run-up to the advisory referendum concerning the potential construction of the Visaginas NPP which concluded in a nay vote. According to them with a successful referendum and the beginning of a Lithuanian project, neither Russia, nor Belarus would have had a valid justification for their projects.