Aušrinė Armonaitė: my views become more moderate

“My political consciousness was greatly strengthened with the studies at VU TSPMI. Because there (in the first year) there was a lot of criticism of liberalism during the philosophy lectures of Vytautas Radžvilas and Alvydas Jokubaitis. The course on modern political theories consisted of the authors of liberalism and the critique of liberalism. This has greatly strengthened my political views, “says A. Armonaitė, Minister of Economy and Innovation and President of the Freedom Party.

According to the policy, it has recently become more moderate: “When you are very young, you think you have the answers to all the questions. Now, the better I know people and the more I see the world, the more experience I have, the less answers I have to some questions. “

– You were very active and visible in the Seimas of the last legislature. And what can you say about your free time? Who are you assigning it to?

– I’ve had little of that free time in recent years, but I’m not complaining. Politics occupies an important place in my daily life. But of course, sometimes you want to divert your thoughts elsewhere.

The world of music is important to me, both listening to music and being interested in it. I also like to be in nature, in spaces where you can breathe fresh air. These are the main things.

– Do you play any musical instrument (or instruments) yourself?

– Yes, I play the piano. I graduated from music school. However, I did not practice my skills for a long time, and it was only during the first wave of quarantine that they returned. Now I am very happy that they are with me. It’s fun to focus your thoughts in a completely different space. Although there is also a lot to think about, to develop memory. But still, this is another world where the brain can rest.

– Was the music school of your life more of a parent’s initiative or was it your own strong desire to make music?

– More perhaps at the initiative of the parents. My sister and I played music and of course, like all children, we did not want to go to music school. But when my parents very generously said that I could quit if I wanted, I was upset, because freedom of choice emerged and it helped mobilize me to finish what I had started. And I really don’t regret it.

I can advise young people who are interested in things they may not want to do – the skills you gain from your job come to life in very unexpected ways, and actually give you more than you might expect.

– What are your favorite works and composers, of what you had to do yourself?

– I played classics and it was difficult for me in some way because it cost me a lot of work. Now that I can play what I want, I no longer play classics; I play contemporary music, I like to perform works by the South Korean composer Yiruma. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily listen to what I play. I listen to a wide variety of music.

– You no longer understand the classics when you realize that you are a liberal and not a conservative?

– No, definitely not because of that. Maybe I just reproduced them. But of course the classics are special music, and I personally may not like the composers who wrote the piano as much as, say, the creator of the opera Giacom Puccini. At the time of music school, I was very intrigued by the composer Edward Grieg, and now, ranking some of his works, I think nothing better has been created.

– What other music are you listening to?

– I also listened to full pop, dance music, dubstep, drum’n’bass. I listen to less rock music.

– And how has your taste in music evolved since childhood? Were there fractures, sharp turns?

– One of my classmates says that my taste in music hasn’t changed since fifth grade. Although I see it change. When I was a teenager, I was more of a rapper, I listened to hip-hop. Now he might hear something, but not as much as before.

– Do you still like hip-hop?

– Sometimes when I take a taxi and listen to Eminem play, I feel like I know the full lyrics of that song.

– When it comes to work-life balance, are you a workaholic?

– Maybe I am. I do not know. I’m not posting that work is everything to me, but when I look at my daily routine I have to admit that it probably is.

– When you were the only representative of the Freedom Party in the Seimas of that legislature, it seemed that you were really working hard and dedicating all your time to politics.

– Yeah, I actually spent a lot of time on it. And for generating ideas, and for talking to people for whom our ideas are relevant, and for bills, and somehow I was able to go to all the shows that I was invited to.

I preferred that, but it was not my conscious choice. Perhaps this is the case with the banal saying: do what you want and you won’t have to work. I don’t feel like it’s my job. That is the path I have chosen. Along that path, I don’t divide my time into work and non-work hours: it’s the kind of activity that I love, which I also think about on weekends.

Of course, there are times, especially lately, when you want to take a break. But there was no way to do it, and it probably won’t be in the near future. In general, politics is not a job that ends at five and does not take place on the weekend.

– Doesn’t that workload damage personal life?

– I do not know. How to see…

– What does your husband say about this?

– It does not hurt. I think it is part of my personal life. Everything is very connected.

– And what is your husband doing, if it’s not a secret?

– Start working in Africa. It has been reported in the media that he has a business in Africa. No, you have nothing to do there. We’ll see if it does well. Maybe I will.

– But is it business?

– Yes, trade, international company.

– Perhaps you chose Africa in response to your perpetual employment?

– My husband Edgar was the man who always encouraged me, supported me, advised me on my political path. But he is quite an ambitious person, he also needs challenges. And it was this year that was a year of great professional challenges for both of us: I led a match in which almost no one believed, and the man decided to test his strength in international activities that forced him to leave his comfort zone. And I’m glad that we, each on our own career path, have stepped out of that comfort zone.

– What are their common interests? Maybe you’re talking whole house politics?

– Yes, we talk a lot about politics. And we communicate every day about the events. Sometimes I feel like Edgar might be even more interested in hearing some news or attitudes from me, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore because I’ve been thinking about it all day. Things like that also happen.

But anyway, we talk a lot not only about everyday domestic politics, but we also share ideas about international politics, the books we read (especially in the past, when we had more time for that). Edgar is interested in diplomacy, reading international relations classics like Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger. We talk about it a lot.

– Edgar – a man of liberal political opinions, like you?

– Yes, we met in liberal youth.

– Didn’t you force him to turn in that direction?

– No, I was already converted.

– How old were you when you met and started communicating?

– Nineteen.

– And when did you get married?

– Maybe around twenty-seven.

– Tell us about the family you grew up in.

– We grew up with my sister in Vilnius, Justiniškės. Like other adolescents of our generation, childhood (school, playground, in our case) is still a music school. I played basketball.

Mom paid a lot of attention to our education. When I think of parenthood, I see how much work has been put into it [į mūsų ugdymą]When my sister and I grew up At a time when your parents are demanding something of you, offering to work harder on certain things, you don’t even realize how much it will affect you.

The fact that we spent almost every summer in Dzūkija with our grandparents also had a great impact. There was a very strong connection with the grandparents who lived in Dzūkija.

– Mother’s parents or father?

– Moms. In fact, and politically, the grandparents, the parents of both parents, were quite influential. Dzūkija’s grandparents created and saw life in the time of Antanas Smetona. They talked a lot about that period and about the war, they told how they had to hide from deportations and help hide other people. They formed a certain worldview.

My grandfather was blind and spent a lot of time with him listening to the radio, political news. And the grandparents on the father’s side are generally very politically active: the grandfather is very interested in politics, shares advice.

– Did the political influence of your grandparents determine that your granddaughter now leads the most liberal Lithuanian party? What are the opinions of your grandparents?

– I don’t really think about liberalism and others [ideologijų] to vary. Like all the Lithuanian people, he was touched by totalitarianism, the socialist system and wars. These circumstances influenced, strengthened the West [orientaciją].

Grandpa Peter always encouraged us to learn foreign languages: English, German so that we could communicate more with the people of the West. Is very ingrained [į atmintį]. When I examine childhood memories, I see that it could have determined a lot.

– Would your grandparents have supported what you are defending now: the legalization of marijuana, same-sex couples and marriage?

– I think we would have a great conversation and they would listen to the language of the arguments. And now the grandfather who lives in Šiauliai hears those arguments: he voted for the Freedom Party. And when the hemp grew in the garden, he took a photo and sent a photo.

– What literature has had the greatest impact on shaping your views?

– We did not have many opportunities to read political philosophy in school. Joining the liberal youth, I read what is considered a classic of liberalism: Friedrich von Hayek and others.

But my political consciousness was greatly strengthened by the studies at VU TSPMI. Because there (in the first year) there were many criticisms of liberalism during the philosophy lectures of Vytautas Radžvilas and Alvydas Jokubaitis. The course on modern political theories consisted of the authors of liberalism and the critique of liberalism. This greatly strengthened my political views.

It is true, I must emphasize that now they are becoming more moderate. Because when you are very young, you think you have the answers to all the questions. Now, the better I know people and the more I see the world, the more experience I have, the less answers I have to some questions.