Saulius Skvernelis
CORPORATE

Experts on S. Skvernelis’ candidacy: do not see pre-planning and see risks

Last week, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis announced his presidential bid. This decision has finalised matters on the political stage. Gitanas Nausėda, S. Skvernelis and Ingrida Šimonytė gather 40% of the vote according to surveys. Another 40% of potential voters are undecided and the remaining 20% is shared by the other candidates. Thus, the number of candidates is growing and the intrigue is rising. How the presidential election campaign will develop and who has the highest chances was discussed by experts on Monday’s LRT Forumas, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
Politics

Conservatives compare S. Skvernelis’ links to D. Gudelis with R. Paksas and J. Borisov’s friendship

A journalist investigation has uncovered facts that Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Minister of Economy Virginijus Sinkevičius, running in respectively the presidential and municipal elections, are constantly and systematically consulted by public relations consultant Darius Gudelis, the owner of the company VIP Viešosios Informacijos Partneriai, without having officially declared it. The aforementioned company has been winning numerous publicity tenders by ministries and institutions subordinate to the cabinet, part of which are evaluated by the prime minister’s political confidence advisor, which raises doubts for the Conservatives on whether there is no abuse of office and if state institution publicity tenders are organised transparently, a press release states according to lrt.lt. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
CORPORATE

Evaluation of S. Skvernelis’ chances: by clashing with the media, he may have made a mistake

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis chose Rusnė as the location to announce his presidential bid. During his cabinet’s term, financing was arranged for the Rusnė overpass. The prime minister stated he wishes for there to be “harmony between governments in the country,” because at the moment he sees discord between the branches of government and journalists, who according to S. Skvernelis participate in politics, add further pressure. This was the discussion topic of Dienos Tema featuring VU TSPMI docent and KTU scientist Mažvydas Jastramskis and the chief editor of BNS news agency Vaidotas Beniušis, lrt.lt writes. […]

Indrė Makaraitytė
CORPORATE

Indrė Makaraitytė. How many of our euros will S. Skvernelis‘ elections cost?

Saulius Skvernelis has announced he will participate in the presidential elections during a meeting with the local community of Rusnė. Some knew beforehand, what will happen during the prime minister’s official visit to inspect the construction work on an overpass, some didn’t, however the construction site was not an accidental choice. […]

No Picture
CORPORATE

Warning over news media: situation compared to state of war

Currently the Seimas is discussing two legislative projects, which would fundamentally change news media work. Representative of the Lithuanian Journalist Union (LŽS) Darius Lukoševičius had a brief, but telling description for the majority’s aims – “declaring a state of war.” However, gathered in a discussion hosted by the opposition on press freedom, specialists in the area openly pointed out that the situation is already bad, without even the amendments having been put in place, lrt.lt writes. […]

Kęstutis Girnius
CORPORATE

Kęstutis Girnius. The changed Lithuanian political landscape

Politics does not stand in place, change is a near constant even if the changes are often insignificant. New political parties emerge, draw voters for a few years and then vanish. The Way of Courage, the National Revival Party, A. PaulauskasNew Union, the Modern Christian Democrat Union, the Lithuanian Freedom Union, the Labour Party, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labour Party – this is only part of the political parties, which formed after the re-establishment of independence, most forming after the year 2000. […]

Vytautas Sinica
CORPORATE

Vytautas Sinica. Euro federalism is eroding the European Union

Compared to Lithuania, no other state better understood the fact that membership in the EU and NATO – especially NATO – was (and still is) essential to the country’s long-term survival and the assurance of national interests. It was this goal of achieving the membership that motivated and led Lithuania forward during its first decade of independence. Lithuania always associated NATO with safety and EU with welfare and benefits – and, sadly, better governance as well. […]

Audronius Ažubalis
CORPORATE

A. Ažubalis on dual citizenship: you cannot sit on two chairs

On Thursday, the Seimas passed amendments to the referendum law, which increases the voting deadline to 10PM and expands the number of voting locations abroad with the aim of increasing voter turnout. Furthermore, the new law establishes an institution, which would perform campaigning when the Seimas declares the referendum. The voting bar to make decisions remains unchanged. The new redaction of the law was prepared by a Seimas workgroup for the dual citizenship referendum, lrt.lt writes. […]

No Picture
Politics

Seimas rejects LRT investigation conclusions: unprecedented vote in Seimas

On Thursday, the final vote on the LRT investigation commission’s conclusions was held in Seimas. As Remigijus Žemaitaitis, who chaired the sitting, noted – this vote was unprecedented. Amendments proposed by Aušrinė Armonaitė and the conclusions‘ first article were approved, but the vote on the second article did not pass. When voting on the full conclusions project, the Seimas also did not approve it, lrt.lt writes. […]

Remigijus Baltrėnas and Darius Jauniškis
Politics

Military intelligence head does not reveal, what he presented to the PM: have a calm Christmas

The head of the State Security Department (VSD) Darius Jauniškis and Second Investigation Department (AOTD) head Remigijus Baltrėnas aim to calm passions, which flared after Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis called upon the intelligence services. The intelligence heads do not reveal, regarding what the PM called on them, however they assure that they have observed no hints of unrest in Lithuania, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
CORPORATE

If Skvernelis is seeking to rally his electorate, he chose the wrong opponents

The striking teachers are awaiting Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis’ apology, but he does not appear intent to do so. The team assembled by the PM, which is preparing a long-term public sector wage payment project features neither striking, nor non-striking teachers. The trade union confederation chairwoman stated that the goal is the lowest earning civil servants, but teachers were not mentioned among them, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis, Dalia Grybauskaitė
Politics

S. Skvernelis about phone call from the president: aid was not offered

In an interview to LRT Television’s Dienos Tema, President Dalia Grybauskaitė stated that out of concern over teacher wages payment reform, she offered her aid to both the now dismissed Minister of Education and Science Jurgita Petrauskienė and to Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis. That said, the latter apparently refused aid from the head of state. Meanwhile, S. Skvernelis stated in a cabinet hour held in Seimas that what was offered was not aid, lrt.lt writes. […]