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On Tuesday, what was foreseen from the beginning of the political alliances between R. Karbauskis and S. Skvernelis, who was planted as prime minister, finally happened. The latter officially announced that he was withdrawing from the peasant faction of the Seimas.
Along with S. Skvernelis, nine more members decided to leave this faction. In addition, three politicians belonging to the Joint Group of Seimas members decided to join the new democratic faction “On behalf of Lithuania”.
Rima Baškienė, who felt unnecessary in the party, revealed the tension in the peasant faction, openly saying that at the end of the Seimas’ term, R. Karbauskis promised to push her off the cliff if such an opportunity presented itself.
Povilas Urbšys, one of the first to leave the peasant faction of the Seimas during the previous term, is convinced that R. Karbauskis would not have wavered.
– R.Karbauskis has an exceptional ability to get angry at everyone. Even R. Baškienė became a traitor, and her devotion to the leader sometimes seemed difficult to understand.
For some time, R.Baškienė was considered unreliable, because as vice president of the Seimas, she was able to speak to the conservatives, which supposedly endangered the peasants. R. Karbauskis saw traitors and enemies everywhere.
Now he is creating legends about traitors, but he himself did everything he could to make the divorce happen. Fairy tales are necessary for the rest of the faction, where not everyone sees the situation as Agnė Širinskienė or Dainius Gaižauskas yet. They need to keep blowing mist in their eyes, said P. Urbšys to Lietuvos Rytas.
– But could more people leave the party and the faction after the division?
– There may not be a serious threat, but there is a concern that the bad mood will not spread to the branches of the party, – probably. After all, there are still islands in the group, which are not necessarily completely obedient to R. Karbauskis. But I don’t think anyone in the party is threatening him. It will simply sink further into a closed sectarian format and dissidents will be persecuted.
– R. Karbauskis himself explains that the changes will only benefit, – the refined faction will be able to more effectively defend the values declared by the party.
– But it does not answer the question, why did the peasants have only one representative in the Seimas elections in 2016: R. Baškienė? Is it not a problem of a leader that before the arrival of S. Skvernel, this party was not interesting for the voters?
Clearly, the peasants have already been thrown into political orbit and this rocket, even after uncoupling the motor that got it there, will rotate in it for some time. But this party will become completely oriental with an oligarchic touch.
– There has been talk for a long time about the hidden disagreements between the peasant leader and the former prime minister. Why is S.Svvernelis retiring only now?
– When S. Skvernelis was Prime Minister, R. Karbauskis could not ignore his status. Besides, he had no other choice.
So at first it was a union of love. Only later did it become a union by deduction.
It seems that it was hoped that this union could continue to exist even after last year’s Seimas elections. There were hopes that he could manage to stay in power. At least everything was done in that direction. Remember how much money was thrown in before the election.
But after the defeat, there was a turning point: when the veil fell, clear differences appeared between S. Skvernelis and R. Karbauskis, and various silent grievances began to fade.
The formation of the shadow government meant only when S. Skvernelis was provided solely with the people of R. Karbauskis; it was a complete humiliation for him.
– But there were more humiliations of this type. For example, the peasant leader, without consulting S. Skvernel, was the only one who decided what to delegate to the council of opposition factions.
Why has S. Skvernelis been humiliated for so long?
– After the presidential elections, he was excited to form a separate faction and even a new political entity. Let us remember that the Prime Minister’s rhetoric towards R. Karbauskis has hardened.
But then the illness of S. Skvernel began, and the peasant leader seemed to take advantage of the weakness of the then prime minister. In any event, S. Skvernel’s disease once again played an important role in warming up their relationship.
Of course, it was possible to take that step in the past, but even now there is no complete answer to the question that has seemingly been holding S. Skvernel back all along: and what will happen next?
– What do you think S.Svvernelis will do? Trying to create a new group, join an existing group, or be satisfied with a faction?
– It seems that there may be an attempt to create a new movement, although now these issues seem to be avoided.
Not sure what niche it would try to fill? I think no homework was done over the summer so I try to do the trick.
So far, only the faction presentation has been prepared.
However, there is a lot of liberal tone in the new group.
R. Karbauskis will also push them in that direction. It is possible that during the first votes in the Seimas and among the members of the new faction, certain divisions will become evident.
There can be up to five traditional values teachers in that faction and it will not be as easy to agree as stated. R. Karbauskis will definitely not miss the opportunity to highlight those differences; it is very important for him to show that peasants are the only consistent defenders of traditional values. The new faction is unlikely to become a competitor to the Conservatives either.
– Perhaps that is why rumors are heard that peasant divorces open up new possibilities of maneuver for the rulers.
Do you see any of these?
– The split of the opposition faction benefits the rulers in any case. But I doubt that the new faction wants to be in their shadow. Clearly, we’ll see more flexibility from S. Skvernel than the rulers might have expected before.
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These members include the new democrats on behalf of Lithuania: S.Skvernelis, R.Baškienė, A.Butkevičius, V.Bakas, T.Tomilinas, L. Savickas, L. Kukuraitis, A.Stončaitis, R.Miliūtė, D. Griškevičius, L. Mogenienė, L. Nagienė, Z.Streikus.
