Having built a coalition, the “Peasants” and Social Democrats will be forced to seek support from parties that ended up in the opposition in regard to a number of questions. Writing names in non-Lithuanian symbols, the constitutional definition of a family, legalisation of partnership and artificial insemination. Regarding the solutions and proposals for these issues, neither the “Peasants”, not the SocDems are willing to yield ground, LRT.lt reported.
A number of Social Democrat negotiators released a statement prior to the coalition agreement being signed. The statement noted that the party position on the aforementioned issues is firm and there is no intention to shift it. The “Peasants” also demonstrate no intent to enter discussion regarding their core values.
If the members of the Conservatives, Liberals and Order and Justice Party, who chosen to enter the opposition, alongside the Polish Electoral Action representatives refuse to support the coalition parties, then these issues, which have not progressed for years would remain static.
Already aware they will disagree
“We will not be able to come to terms with the “Peasants”. Regarding questions such as the definition of a family or the legalisation of partnership, ones that are sacred for them, they will seek support from the Conservatives or other opposition parties. Thus when our opinions diverge, we will remain in the “Peasants” opposition,” stated Algirdas Sysas, one of the SocDem negotiators.
The politician notes that the coalition agreement endeavoured to affirm the differences between the “Peasants” and Social Democrats’ proposals, but the term “differences” was unappealing to a number of negotiators “Which is why those divergences are described very gracefully.”
The Peasant Greens were firmly against legalising partnership, writing “w” and other non-Lithuanian symbols in documents and other issues related to human rights according to Sysas.
Not removing values from their programme
“Peasant” veteran and negotiator Rima Baškienė stated that the party values are embedded into their programme, thus there is no intention of forgoing them or entering compromise.
“We do not renounce the positions we declared prior to the elections because they are important to us. The fostering of family values, respect to life and the protection of the Lithuanian language are our fundamental values. Respecting the opinion of our Social Democrat partners, we will seek likeminded individuals among both the Polish Electoral Action and the Conservative fraction. I believe that in the new Seimas we will maintain focus regardless of whether important decisions are made by the coalition or by all members of parliament,” spoke Baškienė.
Will support what benefits the state
Laurynas Kasčiūnas who belong to the Christian Democrat wing of the Conservatives is convinced that both his fellow party members and other opposition fractions will support coalition proposals that are important to the state. “But already today I can firmly say that I will definitely not support legalising partnership, while artificial insemination is a sensitive topic and proposals regarding it will need careful analysis,” stated Kasčiūnas.
The politician had similar sentiments about using non-Lithuanian symbols in documents. If an approach akin to that in Latvia was proposed, where foreign names and surnames are written in non-Latvian symbols on the second page, L. Kasčiūnas would support such an idea. If other proposals surface, he would firstly focus on whether the idea does not harm the Lithuanian language and whether the Polish representatives do not employ it in fostering political discord.
“We would not vote nay just because we are in the opposition. However on questions of family model, artificial insemination or creation of monopolies, we would vote against,” stated Eugenijus Gentvilas, a senior member of the Liberal Movement.
Poles see much in common
The prefect of the Polish Electoral Action fraction Rita Tamašunienė stated that her party and the “Peasant” programmes have many similarities.
“We, like the “Peasants”, will definitely not support proposals on embryo freezing in the artificial insemination law. We will also not support legalising partnership because with such a piece of legislation appearing, the door would be opened to legalising homosexual marriage,” said Tamašunienė.
At the same time, both she and her party memebrs will continue to pursue legislation that would allow non-Lithuanian symbols in documents. “The name and surname are untouchable personal valuables, it should be legislated in Lithuania, just as in other countries that they are written in the symbols of every nation. Especially with many achieving this in courts already,” spoke Tamašunienė.
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