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President G. Nausėda decided not to appoint former ministers of National Defense and Foreign Affairs Raimundas Karoblis and Linas Linkevičius as ambassadors.
According to the country’s leaders, they need a period of “political cooling”.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Raimundas Karoblis and Linas Linkevičius
Both non-partisan ministers recently served in a “peasant” government.
R. Karoblis was probably elected to the position by President Dalia Grybauskaitė, and L. Linkevičius was delegated by the Social Democrats of the then “peasant” coalition.
L. Linkevičius also had the mandate of member of the Seimas. After the split of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), he elected the “social workers”, to whose faction in the Seimas he belonged.
The same standards for both vice ministers and ministers
G. Nausėda argued his decision not to appoint the aforementioned persons as ambassadors on the basis that political appointments to the diplomatic service could be left not only at the level of vice ministers, but also at the level of ministers.
It is said that the same rules should apply to everyone.
If we depoliticize at the level of vice ministers, we must also speak of depoliticization at the level of ministers.
“I strongly support the efforts of the Foreign Minister to depoliticize the diplomatic service. Through his efforts The Seimas adopted a draft amendment to the Law of the Diplomatic Service.
I have approved this draft and under this law it is provided that the contracts of the vice ministers of the diplomatic service be eliminated from the content of this law.
If we depoliticize at the level of vice ministers, we must also speak of depoliticization at the level of ministers. That would be completely logical, ”the president discussed at a press conference last week, but he doubted that it should be regulated by law.
Difficulties in carrying out instructions.
His senior foreign policy adviser, Asta Skaisgirytė, considered that a politically biased person may have difficulty implementing the agenda of his opponents.
“Once a potential ambassador was a minister in the previous government, in this case a minister in a ‘peasant’ government, he must now follow the instructions of the Conservative government. There is difficulty in that ”, said the previous interview. 15 minutes A.Skaisgirytė spoke.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Asta Skaisgirytė
Finally, G. Nausėda stated that he was not aware of such a case that the Minister would be appointed ambassador in time.
“I am not aware of any case in the history of Lithuania where a former minister immediately became an ambassador. I don’t see that when I become familiar with or accept credentials from foreign ambassadors in Lithuania.
“They are people from very different backgrounds and careers, but they are also coming to this position not from the position of ministers,” he said.
However, there were cases where people who held ministerial positions in Lithuania immediately became ambassadors.
VIDEO: G. Nausėda’s adviser urges not to look for conspiracy theories about ambassadors: politically compromised ministers would not be the best
The experience as a minister paid off
That part went to the current director of the National Museum of Art of Lithuania Arūnas Gelūnas.
In 2010, he became Minister of Culture at the initiative of the Resurrection Party. He held this position until 2012 and was appointed UNESCO Ambassador at the end of the Government’s term.
Speaking that it would be appropriate to “calm down politically” beforehand, A. Gelūnas said that he did not remember it, and the experience in the position of Minister of Culture was very helpful.
“I didn’t feel as embarrassed about having to relax, nor did I feel like I had to relax. This work experience for UNESCO has been very useful and has obtained good results. ” 15 minutes he said.
Eriko Ovcharenko / 15min nuotr./Arūnas Gelūnas
“Culture was closely linked to the position of ambassador for UNESCO, where much of the content with which he had to work was also cultural: not to mention heritage, but also the media, education, world memory.
I was extremely helpful for the Minister’s experience in the field of culture, and even the background knowledge that I brought from the academic world, ”said A. Gelūnas.
There were no disagreements with the center left
It is true that he agreed that there is a difference between representation in an international organization and in some foreign country.
“It is not a standard position for me to be appointed ambassador somewhere in the state. This perhaps would have encouraged speeches and raised questions about how quickly, without diplomatic work, only after becoming a minister, a politician, ”commented A. Gelūnas.
He served as Minister of Culture in the right-wing government when the posts were later taken over by the center-left. Has there been a problem with being a UNESCO ambassador?
A.Gelūnas assured that no.
The objectives were universal: the protection of Lithuanian interests.
“A diplomat should not be politically prejudiced or subject to political changes from the left or right. The goals were universal: the protection of Lithuanian interests. With both the left and right political leanings in Lithuania, I managed to defend those interests quite well.
And with the politicians who arrived at that time, including Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, Culture Minister Šarūnas Birutis, who seemed to also be representatives of the center-left government, there was certainly no friction, no tension, no disagreements, “he said.
From the Ministry of Education to the embassy in Sweden
Remigijus Motuzas, the head of the consulate in Sejny, Poland, was once tried as a minister and ambassador.
In 2004 he joined the LSDP led by Algirdas Brazauskas and became the Minister of Education and Science of the Government who directs this politician.
Following the resignation of the Government in June 2006, Motuz was appointed Ambassador to Sweden in November.
“Scanpix” nuotr./Remigijus Motuzas
After R. Motuzas became ambassador, President Valdas Adamkus expressed his hope that he would contribute to deepening the partnership between the two countries.
There was no discussion about the “political cooling” in relation to R. Motuz, at least judging by media reports.
Contact him and talk about it 15 minutes it has failed.
By the way, L. Linkevičius himself once served as Lithuanian ambassador to NATO.
The politician occupied them for the second time in August 2005, when he was still Minister of National Defense in December 2004.
Diplomats can belong to parties
An ambassador to a foreign state or international organization is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the government.
The specific candidacy is considered first by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas, and the foreign state must give its consent to accept the proposed diplomatic representative.
The term “political cooling” is not defined or used in the Diplomatic Service Act.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Diplomáticos
Here it is stated that a diplomat, including an ambassador, has the right to be a member of trade unions, organizations or associations, as well as a member of political parties or organizations, to participate in political activities outside office hours.
Restrictions on the employment of public politicians are defined in the Law on the Reconciliation of Public and Private Interests.
According to him, for example, ministers cannot work for a year in agencies dependent on the ministry on which they have made decisions.
The one year term is often called the “cooling off” period.
Work in diplomatic missions is not mentioned here.
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