Social Democrats set up new Seimas group, include Šakalienė

“I am very happy to see Dovilė agreeing to take on the challenge of shaping the true Social Democratic policy with us and joining our reviving political group in the Seimas. After making hard decisions, we finally managed to include a person whose expertise and enormous experience in fields crucial to the party we value greatly,” the party’s leader Gintautas Paluckas said in a press release.

Meanwhile, Šakalienė said she interpreted the actions of the Social Democrats “as more than just words,” therefore, was able to trust “the agreement the party would prioritize the fields that she dedicates all of her efforts and knowledge to.”

Eugenijus Gentvilas, elder of the Liberal Movement group Šakalienė is currently a member of, told BNS he had not yet received her resignation and had heard about her shift to Social Democracy from rumors rather than from her personally.

LSDP said the latest addition would make its political group include seven MPs, namely, Šakalienė, Juozas Olekas, Julius Sabatauskas, Algirdas Sysas, Rasa Budbergyte, Raminta Popoviene and Algimantas Salamakinas. Olekas was elected as the group’s elder, while Sabatauskas as his deputy.

According to the press release, a message was sent to Parliamentary Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis about the group being in opposition.