As the debate on the Landsbergis’ assets continues in the public sphere, political analysts are not shying away from the Minister’s calls to assess the limits of his privacy. They say that Gabrielius Landsbergis is teetering on the brink of criminality because of his regular holidays during crises and that his father’s statements demonstrate his lack of education, Aistė Zaveckaitė stated in TV3.lt.
On 9 August, when journalists from Lietuvos Rytas raised the issue of Landsbergis’ wife’s property acquisition, the Minister extended his leave until 16 August, a week more than planned.
In addition to this event, the Minister was on leave during the Bartoševičius paedophilia scandal and the Kaliningrad transit crisis.
Political analyst: The Minister is teetering on the brink of crime
Political analyst Linas Kontrimas pointed out that Landsbergis‘ behaviour over the past four years has not demonstrated that he is the Chairman of the ruling party, and it’s not only this time.
He assured that taking holidays during crises affecting the party and passing the buck to others showed the Foreign Minister’s inability to deal with crises.
“We have given a mandate to a party led by someone we don’t know. He is on the verge of a crime in a political sense. I am not talking about law; I am talking about political morality,” the political scientist pointed out.
Landsbergis’ statements, according to political analyst Bernaras Ivanovas, are also rude and unacceptable.
“For a Western country, this is completely incomprehensible, and the ears turn when you hear such statements from a person in politics. It is simply an uneducated person because a cultured person does not speak like that”, said Mr Ivanovas.
Resorting to anger when he should be apologising
Kontrimas believes that the son’s and father’s reactions show an inability to control their emotions and that they should apologise.
“The only weapon they resort to is anger and an aggressive posture. A normal, polite, decent person would apologise. Still, for some reason, those in power seem to think that their exceptionalism allows their family to fool everyone else and use practically censorious words to call worried people,” he said.
According to political analyst Ivanovas, a party Chairman in politics has to understand that he is not a private person and is accountable to society for his actions.
Landsbergis would have been better off remaining silent
Meanwhile, the political scientist believes it would have been best for Landsbergis to keep quiet and protect his reputation.
“It could backfire back on him. However, not all Lithuanians are members of the Conservative Party who support Landsbergis. As an artist or a famous person, it is better to refrain from commenting and count to ten before you write something, and don’t get nervous,” Ivanovas advised.
He noted that a narrative has been formed since independence: “To vote against Landsbergis is to vote for Putin”. According to Mr Ivanovas, Mr Landsbergis used this narrative to write a post on a social network.
He compared it to other countries: “Politicians imagine that they are elected as masters”
The political scientist said that in Western democracies, politicians try to remain humble and to blend in with the common man.
“Especially in Denmark and the Netherlands, where rich people are generally disliked, the rich hide away and don’t show off, and politicians try to be exceptionally modest and transparent; they ride trams and bicycles just like everybody else,” he mentioned.
He said the divide between the public and politicians in Lithuania is wide. This is evidenced by the Landsbergis’ reaction to questions from the public about their villa in Greece.
“Politicians imagine that they are elected as masters and not as servants. The public also projects that. Of course, then there are similar thoughts that you have no right to know where I live, how I live, what I eat,” Ivanovas noted.
This time, the Foreign Minister extended his holiday
The news portal tv3.lt reminds us that at the height of the Kaliningrad transit crisis in 2022, Landsbergis also went on holiday. At the time, the news from Lithuania that the transit of certain goods to Kaliningrad would be restricted caused absolute fury in Russia, and Putin’s henchmen even started threatening Lithuania.
What is more, his holiday has been extended during the Bartoševičius paedophilia scandal, which broke in 2023, and now, questions are being raised about the villa in Greece bought by the party Chairman’s family.
“By the way, here’s an interesting point: on 3 August, Landsbergi’s spokeswoman said: “The Minister’s next unpaid leave of absence is scheduled for 5-9 August, with the possibility of recall due to changes in the agenda or an extraordinary session of the Seimas
Then, on 9 August, journalists discover Landsbergi’s villa in Greece, and the Minister extends his unpaid leave to the point where he does not even attend the extraordinary session,” Andrius Tapinas wrote on Facebook.
The journalists of Lietuvos Rytas found out that just after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the family of Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis bought a villa with a swimming pool on the island of Aegina for almost EUR 800 000.
According to Lietuvos Rytas, the plot of land with the buildings is registered in the name of the Minister’s wife, Austeja Landsbergienė. In February 2022, Landsbergienė paid an advance of EUR 225 000 for the property.
Landsbergis’ leave of absence has been extended until 16 August following this news.
Reaction to his father’s words about his son’s villa in Greece
“Marasmus, kolkhoz, would this be possible in another country – the father of the Foreign Minister is at a loss for words and adds: ‘What a village’.
Tapinas pointed out that people who think everything is fine with a businesswoman buying real estate abroad. Better still, she declares it. But they have questions:
– Is the date of the purchase of the villa in Greece just before the war broke out a coincidence?
– Why, when asked in the Seimas about the country in which his family had bought property, did the Foreign Minister not say straightforwardly that we have property in Greece, but suggested that we should not be diving into pro-Russian websites, but that what is declared is declared.
And the Minister’s dad then called Veryga, who asked, a “gossiping lady”.
He says he will be looking for assets as early as 2020
According to the politician, his family started looking at real estate as early as 2020, and a specific property appeared on the horizon in 2021.
“The real estate agency offered us a house in 2021 (…) Then we started looking specifically, and the process came to its natural conclusion,” said the politician.
However, the politician did not hide his anger at the public speculation that the acquisition of the property was linked to Russia’s large-scale war in Ukraine and the negative change in the security environment in the region. He notes that he and his family would be ready to defend Lithuania in the event of an “X” hour.
“My two sons – one has completed his voluntary service, and the other is doing it now. The first is already a reserve soldier, and the second becomes a reserve soldier when he finishes his service. They would be on the front line if Lithuania were in real military danger. I have no more precious assets than my children. It seems to me that their dedication and sacrifice to defend their homeland with their blood and their lives should answer the questions about where the Landsbergis family stands,” said the politician.
“My place is in Lithuania, and I defend Lithuania with the instruments given to me by the voters, which I can make myself. I intend to continue to do so, and so will my family,” Landsbergis concluded.
However, the issue of the villa purchased in Greece was also discussed in the public space because Landsbergis was not in a hurry to answer the questions he was asked. However, the leader of the Conservatives says that he will not evaluate his communication in this case. The Minister understands that sometimes the questions posed to politicians go beyond the limits of tolerated privacy.
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