Party leaders answer: how should Lithuania react to the events in Belarus?

President of the Union of Greens and Peasants of Lithuania Ramūnas Karbauskis:

It seems to me that Lithuania is reacting quite correctly, taking care that people who are at risk of human rights violations are safe, I mean the refuge of the opposition leader in Lithuania. Speaking of another reaction, Lithuania expressed its position on human rights violations and other things. What different reaction could there be? I think there is nothing more we can do in this case, we have to defend our position and encourage other countries to talk about it.

I cannot answer the question of sanctions unequivocally. I don’t think the situation is any different than it was a year or two ago; it’s certainly the same, perhaps intensified by the presidential elections, but I don’t think it’s fundamentally very different. Human rights were violated, people were imprisoned both a year ago and two years ago. And what has changed so abruptly here?

That dialogue (with Belarus) is beneficial because of the changes that we really want. We want the human rights violations to end, and that requires dialogue, and the dialogue really starts because of the tense relations between Russia and Belarus, and in this situation, I don’t know if the imposition of sanctions in the geopolitical sense (would justify). We would simply refuse, close the door, and leave Belarus alone with Russia. It is useful?

Gediminas Kirkilas, Leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party, Chairman of the European Affairs Commission of the Seimas:

Unfortunately, there have been no recognizable elections in Belarus, the election campaign itself has not been completely transparent, and many of those who have stood up have been imprisoned. Since this has not happened, we now call on Belarus to at least refrain from violence and call for open and democratic elections. If this is not the case, I have no doubt that Lithuania will support the European Union sanctions against Belarus.

Sanctions rarely work directly, they work for a long time, but I think Mr Lukashenko is interested in reacting and their economic situation is not so easy, so I think the EU position on Belarus is particularly important to them. Therefore, these sanctions will be much more effective in this regard than they were before, I would not doubt that they would be effective at this time.

Valdemaras Tomaševskis, President of the Union of Christian Families of the Polish Lithuanian Election Campaign (LLRA-KŠS):

We need to respond intelligently and appropriately. Why wisely, because our response during the last elections or other political steps was sometimes immeasurable. And Lukashenko is a strong leader, he has, of course, less support than a few years ago, but his support for the country is there and it is undeniable what percentage there is, of course, debatable, but you can guess that the majority of support – in the fewer cities, but support is high in the province.

Belarus is our close neighbor, we must be wary of all events, of course, on the one hand – condemning oppression, the use of force, on the other – looking for a way out of the situation. This requires dialogue, speech, not just statements.

Our foreign minister, I think, speaks too categorically, writes a kind of conspiracy theories. It is difficult to say if your private opinion is here. I think it still lives in the last century. Those times are changing. Our minister, who went through a good school during the Soviet era, was a kind of activist in the Soviet nomenclature, and I think that the policy should be more flexible, there cannot be a policy on our part that does not lead to an improvement in the relationships, if we don’t have relationships with our neighbors. It will also be bad for the people of that state if sanctions are imposed.

I think everything will be fine with Belarus, I wish it. We need to look at the most important challenges: Islamization, anarchization. Anarchy is coming to Western civilization. I cannot comment on this choice because I was not there. But if there is support as advertised, then that support is still high enough.

Chairman of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, Gintautas Paluckas:

Recall the measures that have taken place since Lukashenko’s 2010 “elections”, when opposition leaders Aliaksandr Milinkevich were simply jailed, the EU and the US respectively imposing political sanctions on key members of the regime, both politicians and politicians. officials, freezing their accounts. wealth. This really hurt, because it was then that Lukashenko entered negotiations that the release of the political prisoners was achieved in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. Therefore, they were painful, they acted. However, the extension and conversion of such sanctions into economic ones, that is, a boycott, a ban on the importation of state products, which has been heard, would be a big mistake, since such sanctions have no effect and all the burden falls on the society of the country. Examples are Iran, Cuba.

Political sanctions would certainly be effective.

As the opposition leader (although, many say, a technician) leaves Lithuania, it is obvious that more people will follow, who would otherwise suffer for the regime. It is necessary to extend that helping hand, to understand that the Lukashenko regime will still adhere to it, despite the protests, and to create opportunities for them to leave Lithuania.

The third thing is to deepen and intensify the cultural, scientific and economic ties with the society, business and people of Belarus, so that they can see that European life, political tradition and culture and spread that message and practice in Belarus.

Gabrielius Landsbergis, President of the National Union of Lithuanian Christian Democrats:

The most important thing is to follow and establish the correct position: not to recognize the results of the elections, to try to help the opposition and the people protesting in the streets, to impose sanctions on the regime and all those who contributed, such as a ban on entering the Lithuania.

Lithuania could also raise these issues with the EU, so that it becomes a united position of the whole of Europe. Due to the form, be it a session of the Seimas, a session of the Foreign Affairs Committee or a clear position of the Government, everything can be considered.

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, president of the Liberal Movement:

I called on the heads of state to strongly condemn what Mr Lukashenko is doing, the people in the power structure who are carrying out his instructions. I believe that today is the time when both the leaders of Lithuania and the EU should show a very clear and united solidarity with the people of Belarus, who were robbed of participation in democratic elections and the condemnation of the outbreak of violence that has taken place in the last few days.

We must work to ensure that basic human rights are guaranteed in a neighboring country, the right to objective, democratic elections, that that country is stable and prosperous, and not as it is now.

I think one of the most effective ways to show that would be like Magnick’s list – it could give a real result.

We must demand not only a correct counting of the votes, but also the toughest sanctions for those who contribute to the strengthening of the dictatorship in Belarus. The complete isolation of the regime is the only possible answer today. It also means sanctions against politicians from other countries who cooperate with the regime.

Viktor Uspaskich, Chairman of the Labor Party:

What is happening there is reprehensible, how the electoral results are being manipulated, I do not feel within myself that Lukashenko has won, despite the fact that I have many acquaintances there, my children are from Belarus. These government sentiments are completely reprehensible.

I support the protesters, it is a shame that they are few, that they are not able to organize themselves well, in an orderly and peaceful way. The protest cannot necessarily be bloody. The son went to vote in Moscow, he failed. But we talked about not having to be too aggressive, you should not go to any work for a week. Those who did not vote for Lukashenko would come out, and then we will all see that there is no need to provoke, there is no need for aggressive behavior.

It is difficult to say what we should do, but for the rest, I believe that Lithuania should also pay attention to the problems within itself, so that not everyone has the same opportunity to express their opinion. I compare it to Belarus, Russia, etc., because we often preach to third countries when we have such things.

As for sanctions, they are mainly outside the government. It is probably possible to do so, but we must think about such sanctions so that the people who vote are not harmed.