Sediment answer to conservatives: ordinary people have more understanding than some politicians

A recent poll showed that President Nausėda, not the prime minister, should continue to travel to the European Council (EVS).

“I think people often have enough understanding and often there is much more than with some politicians. The simple thing here is that the people have directly elected the president, they know the Constitution, what the president can do according to his powers. And it delegates those powers to the president. If party officials then try to redraw this map of powers, it doesn’t seem acceptable to the people, “said the head of state.

He said that people had their opinion.

“Now the only question is whether it will be enough for us to hear that opinion,” said G. Nausėda.

The latest poll

More than half of Lithuanians believe that President Gitanas Nausėda should continue to represent the country in the European Council (EVS), according to a poll commissioned by the BNS news agency Vilmorus.

During the investigation, a thousand Lithuanians were asked who should represent the country (EVT): Lithuanian leader G. Nausėda or Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

In a survey conducted by the Vilmorus company, 56.1 percent. respondents said G. Nausėda should continue to do so, 18.6 percent. people thought that I. Šimonytė should take over this responsibility, and 25.3 percent. respondents said they had no opinion.

The president was appointed as a more suitable candidate to represent Lithuania than I. Šimonytė by all groups of people interviewed (both by gender, age, education, social status, income or place of residence), but the representation of G. Nausėda it is supported mainly by people with a lower educational level and lower income.

The smallest difference between politicians is registered in the capital, where the head of the country who thinks that EVS meetings should be attended is similar to many who think that the prime minister should, 34.9%, respectively. and 32.8 percent. surveyed. At that time, in rural areas, G. Nausėdas has the support of two-thirds of the respondents.

Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, a professor at the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science (VU TSPMI), says that people “just support the current status quo.”

“I thought there would be more ignorant, without opinion. Here, however, more in-depth and specific knowledge is needed, but people have apparently noticed that President G. Nausėda participates in European Council meetings and probably considers him an adequate representation of Lithuania, ”said R. Vilpišauskas.

He also noted that people’s responses are likely to be related to political sympathies as well.

“Those who support I. Šimonytė the most, perhaps they voted for her in the last presidential elections, they would also like to see her represent Lithuania and the European Council. Similarly, those who voted for G. Nausėda may consider the same. That distribution of respondents it also offers that hypothesis, ”said the TSPMI professor.

The question of who should represent Lithuania on the EVS was raised by the ruling conservatives, who won the Seimas elections.

They are considering the adoption of a law that provides for Lithuania to be represented in the EVS by the Prime Minister instead of the President.

The initiators argue that the issues discussed at the summits are largely a matter for the government. There is also no possibility of ensuring that the president of the EVT complies with the mandate approved by the Seimas and the Government, in addition, the president does not participate in the activities of the European parties.

Critics of the initiative say that conservatives are applying double standards because they have given their place to the EVS to President Dalia Grybauskaitė, whom they support, and have never raised the issue before.

Slow vaccination

The president also said vaccines for the elderly are still slow. Mr. Nausėda said that all possible measures should be taken now.

“We need to be flexible so that vaccines are not stored somewhere. On the other hand, if we go down to lower groups, those priority groups will not want to be forgotten. (…) This is the wrong approach. It is true that we have currently vaccinated relatively few people over the age of 65, and the numbers are improving, but too slowly. And the number of people over 80 years of age has been vaccinated much less than in many other EU countries, ”said President G. Nausėda.

The head of state urged not to stop.

“What do the statistics say? 14 people died, including 8 people over the age of 80. If they had been vaccinated, it is a pity that today we have to talk about them in a supposed way, they would probably be alive today, that is the difference, “he said.

“We don’t have to stop, shake hands, say we’ve done everything. We must use all institutions, instances, places. I also had to speak with the representatives of the church, they admit that they would like and agree to take advantage of the days of worship, perhaps some mobile vaccination centers would appear near the churches. Let’s use all means, let’s do it so that the vaccination rate does not decrease. Because our goal is to vaccinate the Lithuanian people, most will stay until mid-summer. And it seems to me that it is really real and achievable, ”said the president.

Over a thousand new cases of coronavirus are reported almost daily, with some hospitals announcing that nearly all beds are full for patients, while easing quarantine. On Thursdays, cafes, restaurants, bars open outdoors.

The president said he supports a very robust and gradual release from quarantine.

“I think that even with the introduction of strict quarantine, if no one adheres to it, it is not a panacea either. I firmly believe in the conscience of the people. And even if we were to loosen certain bolts now, if they adhered to certain safety measures, it would be possible to achieve stabilization of the disease. I understand that society is tired and wants some change. But on the other hand, we always have to look at what is happening in our hospitals at a glance. For this reason, I am in favor of a gradual release, very cautious and based on concrete assumptions, ”emphasized President G. Nausėda.

He considered that after the canceled movement between the country’s municipalities, the number of insurance cases did not rise sharply.

“There are two explanations: either it was not effective in its essence or it was not sufficient,” said G. Nausėda. The head of state considered that the restrictions on movement simply had not worked in recent weeks, they had not been enforced.

President G. Nausėda will visit the Telšiai region on Friday. He evaluated how the public spaces for the disabled are adapted in the Mažeikiai Public Library and the Šeir with Cognitive Path with representatives of the Union of People with Disabilities.

G. Nausėda started the workday cycle in the regions at the end of 2019, during the year he visited the ten regions with advisers, three of them, remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president has said that these trips should bear “concrete fruit” in the future.