Member of Seimas Gediminas Kirkilas says he is no longer concerned with departing for the European Parliament because he has been receiving no information from MEP Zigmantas Balčytis. Meanwhile Social Democrat Party chairman Gintautas Paluckas assures LRT.lt that Z. Balčytis is departing the EP and closing his office there.
G. Kirkilas has told LRT.lt that he has no information over whether he will finally replace Z. Balčytis in the European Parliament, stating that they have not been in contact.
“He does not communicate with me. […] One has to say I have not been in contact with him for a long while now because he [Z. Balčytis] was not even present at party congress. I completely forgot the question and am completely unconcerned over it,” G. Kirkilas explained.
When asked how the views Z. Balčytis’ very public announcement regarding his new position in the USA, but not departing for work so far, G. Kirkilas could only note it being a “peculiar situation.”
Party leader G. Paluckas urges his fellow member to stay positive, supposedly Z. Balčytis is definitely departing the EP, thus G. Kirkilas will be able to pack his bags and depart for it, to be replaced in Seimas by Bronius Bradauskas.
“I do not know how things are developing with his new work, but that he is closing his office and departing the EP, that’s a fact. I can confirm it. How things will proceed hereon, we do not have any information because it’s related to Zigmas himself.
I understand why this epic developed – there was one, two, three dates. But that he is taking care of “ends” in the EP, that’s a fact. In other words, he is departing the European Parliament,” Social Democrats leader G. Paluckas commented, urging G. Kirkilas to remain patient because Z. Balčytis has circumstances which delayed him.
Z. Balčytis also commented on his departure from the EP. “I have truly packed my bags and am certainly waiting to for the organisation to announce a start. When it is to happen, I cannot say today. It does not depend on us, not them themselves… When the organisation begins operating officially, I will then be able to begin the procedures to relinquish my position in the EP,” Balčytis explained. It is apparently supposed to proceed within days or weeks.
MEP Z. Balčytis announced already in March, during the Social Democrat Party chairman election, that he will relinquish his mandate because he decided on an international career.
“Life presented yet another unexpected challenge – I was offered to participate in the work of an international organisation, spending part of my work time in Europe and part in the USA. It will be working with international economics, finance, forecasting and modelling,” the social democrat told news agency BNS back then.
He explains that the institution he will work in will be an umbrella institution. “There are talks about evaluations of various international ratings agencies, likely also the IMF and certain member states – forecasts, proposals for what to do and not to do. Since these are practically private organisations, they needs oversight from above, a group of experts is being gathered. This institution is likely to be called management and will have to review proposals related to its member states, evaluating prospects and ratings. There should be some nine members of management, I was offered to be one,” Z. Balčytis told BNS.
He stated that the group’s meetings would be held monthly in New York and plans to have offices in Brussels and Vilnius.
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