Social democrat Andriukaitis accuses president of fuelling political crises

“The president should be on the side of maintaining balance of power, not on the side of promoting crises,” he told Žinių Radijas on Thursday.

He spoke in comment of the president’s public criticism towards Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius whose cabinet members have attracted suspicions of corruption.

Andriukaitis said that Grybauskaitė was thus fuelling crises: “How else can we interpret her actions? If the president sees problems, she should first discuss them with the prime minister, shouldn’t she? Or should she speak about them on the radio, television, the press before summoning him (although he is out of the country) and then make statements in his absence, point a finger, although she has no constitutional powers?

“Who would behave this way? This does not sound serious. Or, on the contrary, the point is to broadcast autocratic leadership,” said the European commissioner.

Andriukaitis insisted that the president could not demand dismissal of ministers, as it was the prime minister who was in charge of the executive and could sack members of his cabinet.

President Grybauskaitė met with Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius on Wednesday and said that the government was becoming vulnerable to corrupt influence, adding that the PM was primarily responsible for the performance of the Cabinet.

Suspicions of corruption have recently marred the ministries of healthcare, environment and agriculture.