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Also among the top five were the arrival of Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlan Cichanouskaya in Vilnius, the commissioning of the Astrava nuclear power plant, and Grigeo’s suspicions of contamination of the Curonian lagoon.
According to Lithuanian journalists, the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential elections, the protests in Belarus, the official withdrawal of Britain from the European Union and the Black Lives Matters protests for the rights of blacks in America were of utmost importance to the world.
“Lithuania coped with the first wave of the coronavirus quite successfully in the spring, but irresponsible behavior on the part of society and the influence of the Seimas elections on political decisions reinforced the damaging effect of the second wave,” says the editor of BNS, Vaidotas Beniušis.
Among other important events, the journalists mentioned the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron, the police complaints to the businessmen Valdas Sutkas and Mantas Zalatoris, the financing of the European Commission for the synchronization of the electricity grid, the accident in the server of the Center of Registration, the distribution of the Ignitis energy company, the update of NATO defense plans, The announcement of information by the SSD spokesperson on intelligence activities during the presidential elections, the appointment of the new Attorney General Nida Grunskienė and the resignation of Ramūnas Karbauskis from the Seimas.
More than 30 journalists from the BNS news agency, Lithuanian National Radio and Television, TV3, LNK, Info TV, Laisvės TV, delfi.lt, 15min.lt, lrytas.lt, tv3.lt participated in the survey on the events most important of the year. , lrt.lt, vz.lt, alfa.lt, News Radio, Rusradio, FM99 Radio, Lietuvos Rytas and international media.
COVID and elections
Vytautas Bruveris, a journalist for Lietuvos Rytas, says that the change of government after the Seimas elections and the coronavirus pandemic were “without a doubt the two most important processes in the internal life of the country, against which all other events basically vanish. that were in sight this year. “
“Both processes are closely intertwined: the pandemic and the fight against it may not have been a decisive factor in determining the results of the elections, but it has become one of the main themes of the political struggle,” Bruver said.
Delfi.lt editor Rasa Lukaitytė-Vnarauskienė points out that the coronavirus pandemic changed our daily life, our work regimen, created enormous pressure on the healthcare system and became a test for governments.
According to her, during this year the world and Lithuania have experienced various emotions, from panic to ignorance, and the pandemic will not only have an economic impact and create educational gaps for students, but will also bring psychological consequences to society.
“The most important and diverse consequences for the life of Lithuanian society are the pandemic of the century and the biggest health crisis, which is a real test for society and government institutions and will have long-term consequences. The change of government and the Seimas elections mark an important political rotation in the state administration, ”says Aurimas Perednis, a journalist for News Radio.
BNS editor Roma Pakėnienė notes that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the global and Lithuanian economies hard, increased public debt, increased unemployment and caused major difficulties in the tourism, leisure and aviation sectors. .
Dalius Simėnas of Verslo žinios says that the success of dealing with the consequences of the pandemic and the transition to economic recovery will determine the chances that the right-wing majority of the new ruling center and the Government will win the Seimas elections in 2024.
Indrė Makaraitytė, a journalist from LRT, claims that the pandemic revealed all the weaknesses and some strengths of Lithuania.
Focus on Belarus
In the second half of the year, Lithuania paid close attention to the events in Belarus. In August, Lithuania welcomed Sviatlan Cichanouska, an opposition candidate who had left Belarus after the rigged presidential elections, and began to mobilize international support for the opposition, and in early November, Alexander Lukashenko’s regime closed the plant. Astrava nuclear power.
LRT journalist Reda Gilytė claims that support for Belarusians once again showed the direction of Lithuania’s foreign policy and that the arrival of S. Cichanouskaja in Lithuania “sends a message to Europe and the world that the country is not just a passive observer of what is happening in the neighboring country. “
BNS journalist Šarūnas Sabaitis describes the start of the Astrava nuclear power plant as another challenge for the future of Lithuania, “which, unfortunately, cannot be managed effectively so far”.
Itar-Tass / Scanpix
The suspicions of the Grigeo Klaipėda company regarding the discharge of untreated sewage into the Curonian lagoon end with the top five of the most important events. Birutė Davidonytė, a journalist for Laisvės TV, states that “not only was it the biggest environmental scandal in Lithuania, but it also encouraged others to take an interest in the environment, the environmental violations of other companies such as the Neris pollution were made public,” .
Marielle Vitureau, a correspondent for French radio RFI in the Baltic States, says President Macron’s visit to Lithuania in September is important both politically and culturally.
“France could listen to Lithuania’s current problems, concerns and fears. It is important to do this directly, without a mediator. The president’s attention to Lithuanian culture is also important. Lithuania has its place on the cultural map and is important in the long term. ”Said M. Vitureau.
Fragmentation in the US
LRT journalist Kristina Jackūnaitė notes that COVID-19 overshadowed all major global events and fundamentally changed the entire world.
“I want to believe the pessimists who say the world will never be the same again. Or hope the changes are only for the better, ”he said.
Verslo žinios journalist Stasys Gudavičius says humanity will write 2020 as a gloomy year for COVID-19.
“Both in Lithuania and around the world this year, everything was overshadowed by one thing: the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. All other events became only the background or consequences of these challenges,” he says.
According to reporters, the event that had the greatest impact on the world after the coronavirus pandemic was the US presidential election in November, during which Democrat Joe Biden defeated the second term of Donald Trump.
TV3 journalist Eglė Šepetutė affirms that these results showed how divided society can be and that not only pandemics, crises, protests, but also presidents themselves can oppose it.
According to Raimundas Celencevičius, editor of 15min.lt, J. Biden’s victory in the US presidential election raises hope that the United States is returning to the path of civilized politics based on agreement, common sense, and mutual respect.
Yet Trump’s attempts to cast doubt on the choice and legitimacy of Biden’s victory and the plethora of his supporters cast reasonable doubts on the quality of American democracy and fear that the growing fragmentation of American society will deepen, said the editor.
Delfi.lt journalist Edgar Savickas says that the US presidential elections, the Black Lives Matter protests, and the changes in the US Supreme Court highlight US opposition, and it will be interesting to see how the new Biden administration you will be successful in such conditions.
Tensions in Belarus
In August, Belarus became the center of media attention not only in Lithuania, but also around the world, where hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the Lukashenko regime after it rigged the presidential elections. .
Alfa.lt and IQ magazine editor Ovidijus Lukošius say the ongoing protests in Belarus show the weakening of the Kremlin’s influence across the region. According to him, this is confirmed by the elections in Moldova, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in which Turkey’s role is growing, and events in post-Soviet Central Asia.
In 2020, Brexit will continue to be mentioned frequently. Britain formally withdrew from the EU on February 1 and finally agreed with the EU on future trade relations before Christmas.
“Brexit Brexit Brexit. Let’s hope it finally happens next year and that Brexit is no longer one of the world events, ”commented LRT journalist Deividas Jursevičius on the 2020 world events.
The top ten world events also included the war for Nagorno-Karabakh, China’s national security law imposed on Hong Kong, the adoption of amendments to the Russian constitution, bushfires in Australia, and the death of the Supreme Court judge. from the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Events of the decade
For more than a decade, BNS has been conducting a survey of journalists at the end of each year to select the most important events of the year. We remember what was chosen as the most important event of the last decade:
The year 2011. In Lithuania, the nationalization of Snoras Bank and the beginning of its bankruptcy, in the world, the Arab Spring.
year 2012. Seimas elections in Lithuania, re-election of US President Barack Obama in the world.
2013 year. In Lithuania, the president of the Council of the EU, in the world, the election of Pope Francis.
2014. In Lithuania, the installation of a gas terminal, in the world, the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
2015. In Lithuania – the introduction of the euro, in the world – the migration crisis.
2016 year. In Lithuania, the Seimas elections, in the world, the election of Donald Trump.
2017 year. In Lithuania, the discovery of the Law of February 16, in the world, the withdrawal of the United States from international agreements.
2018. In Lithuania, the visit of Pope Francis, in the world, the poisoning of Sergei Skripalis and his daughter.
2019. In Lithuania – the victory of Gitanas Nausėda in the presidential elections, in the world – protests in Hong Kong.
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