Mažvydas Jastramskis, Ieva Petronytė-Urbonavičienė, Ainė Ramonaitė
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Political scientists on election results: there no longer is support for Karbauskis’ claim of winning all elections

On Sunday night, the results of the municipal council and mayor elections emerged. Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science (VU TSPMI) political scientist and docent Mažvydas Jastramskis spoke that these elections were akin to three exams: an exam of democracy, an exam of the party system and an exam of the government. […]

No Picture
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Parties take to decisive battle over municipalities: some hope to maintain positions, others aim for records

With little time left to the municipal and direct mayoral elections, political party leaders are pondering, which city and region bastions they will hold on to and where they have chances to break through. The Social Democrats, Liberal Movement and Order and Justice Party remain modest both about increases in their mayors and council members, while the Conservatives and “Farmers”, who remain the most popular parties, believe that they could reach historical victories in the elections, lrt.lt writes. […]

No Picture
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There is a model that helps predict Seimas election results more accurately than surveys

Preliminary predictions of Seimas elections can be made based on the results of the municipal elections. Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science (VU TSPMI) scientist Mažvydas Jastramskis has created and tested a model, which predicts results more accurately than surveys. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
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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. […]

Arvydas Vaitkus
Politics

Social Democrats appeal to STT over business financial support for “Farmer” candidate

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) has appealed to the Special Investigation Service (STT) with a request to evaluate whether financial support from Klaipėda business to Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) candidate to Klaipėda mayor, Arvydas Vaitkus is not a case of open political corruption, a statement sent to lrt.lrt reads. […]

Kęstutis Girnius
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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. […]

Marius Laurinavičius
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Laurinavičius: people imagine Russian spies’ work based on James Bond movies

People imagine the work of spies, especially those of the Russian regime, based on films about James Bond or Stierlitz, Vilnius Institute of Political Analysis expert Marius Laurinavičius tells LRT Radio. According to him, often it is imagined that spies gather top secret information, however it is often the contrary. Member of Seimas Vytautas Bakas also states he believes the perception of spy stories is often too primitive, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
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What is S. Skvernelis seeking with his behaviour?

What do Saulius Skvernelis‘ unusual actions – reaction to teachers‘ strikes, dismissing ministers, talks about coups and contacting the special services regarding the Kremlin‘s hand among politicians – say about his goals? According to some experts, this is a well thought out strategy, however others see it as only failure to maintain calm, lrt.lt writes. […]

Ramūnas Bogdanas
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Ramūnas Bogdanas. Skvernelis’ godfather Paksas visits Putin

When the Order and Justice party negotiated with the then still whole Social Democrats to join the latter’s’ coalition, the usual division of posts proceeded. Order and Justice received the post of minister of the interior. It turned out that among them, they lacked a politician capable of handling this difficult office; after all, this minister handles both public order matters, the police and municipalities. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
Politics

Political scientist: S. Skvernelis has made a massive mistake

Political scientist Tomas Janeliūnas is convinced that Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis seeks to involve intelligence services into political fights by calling upon the State Security Department (VSD) over potential Kremlin influence on the Conservatives. Former heads of the VSD Gediminas Grina and Mečys Laurinkus are also surprised by the prime minister’s actions, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
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Analyst: the prime minister does not comprehend he is not a police general in Venezuela

It is unlikely Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis expected that a protest of discontent teachers over their wage payment scheme would turn into a protest of thousands in front of the cabinet building. It is now the prime minister’s turn to ponder on how to come to terms with the public sector, otherwise who knows what could happen, the dismissed ministers may not suffice and his own future in the cabinet could come into question. Because assurances that the tax reform will improve public sector staff welfare over three years may very well not work, lrt.lt writes. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
Politics

E. Gentvilas on Skvernelis’ move: with one more minister removed, he would run for president as a victim

Liberal Movement leader Eugenijus Gentvilas tells lrt.lt that Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, who has announced the firing of three ministers, may seek to provoke a dissolution of the cabinet and use this to portray himself as a victim in the presidential elections, lrt.lt writes. […]