Blinkevičiūtė’s criticism of the government boom: I was a minister for 8 years, but I have not seen such chaos

“What level did we go to?”

LSDP Director V. Blinkevičiūtė stated that Lithuania is now suffering from a pandemic and illegal migration. And people’s attitudes towards those decisions. V. Blinkevičiūtė recalled that municipal elections were a year and a half away, but it is not yet clear how they will be elected, directly or indirectly.

“Is this how we will collect them? Directly, indirectly, pocket-sized or not. Nobody knows. (…) He was stabbed. It is simply indecent, it is a lack of political culture in the state, “he asked.

The party leader began to assess the situation in the country from the management of the problems of the pandemic.

“We really recognize the benefits of vaccines and no one can deny it. This is also understood by 71 percent, now perhaps more, of the adult population of Lithuania who are vaccinated (…) However, it is necessary to respect the opinion of those who doubt to get vaccinated or not. And here you need a separate and individual approach from a person, “explained the party leader.

“The rulers are not able to listen to the people, to argue enough. They make proposals that must be withdrawn because the people are outraged,” the politician recalled.

V. Blinkevičiūtė recalled the offer of the ruling to travel by public transport only with the Passport of Opportunity. This offer was later rejected.

“We said it was insensitive, silly, that there was no need to do so,” the politician explained.

He also raised the question of how to be so disconnected from “real life” that you don’t realize that not everyone has smartphones and the opportunity to get the Opportunity Passport on their own. And why it was only later that a more extensive list of places was made available for this document.

V. Blinkevičiūtė stated categorically that the LSDP would not support the idea being considered by the Government of not paying sickness benefit to unvaccinated people.

“What level did we go to? “No one has been entitled to deduct health benefits from them,” he said.

The president of the LSDP explained that saying that the Opportunity Passport would protect “we are not all knocked out.”

“A passport of opportunity cannot be a tool to discriminate against people. It cannot restrict our people’s access to the basic things they need: medical care, education, social security,” explained V. Blinkevičiūtė.

The head of the LSDP urged the government to take into account the good practices of municipalities regarding vaccination.

“Individual access to each person is very important,” said LSDP President V. Blinkevičiūtė.

“I have not seen such chaos”

According to V. Blinkevičiūtė, another big problem is illegal immigration.

The politician marveled at the inability to speak of the ministers of this government. He recalled the public statement by the Minister of the Interior, Agnė Bilotaitė, on the introduction of a state of emergency in border municipalities. On the same day, the Minister of National Defense, Arvydas Anušauskas, assured that this was not necessary at all.

LSDP President V. Blinkevičiūtė said that she had worked as a minister for 8 years, but had never seen such chaos.

“I have not seen such chaos on such important and sensitive issues for Lithuania,” he lamented. The politician questioned whether the ministers could not sit at the table and talk.

The politician said that people are reasonably critical of the Cabinet.

“Our people rightly criticize the government, they are disappointed with its activities. As a result, trust in members of the government fell to a record high. It is clear that some ministers have made various mistakes. I really understand that the post of Minister is very difficult. “I understand that there are difficult situations, but there is no time to learn. The minister’s position is not a first-class position, so you must be prepared for any situation. I cruelly lack political leadership,” said excited V. Blinkevičiūtė, the leader of the LSDP party.

The statements of individual representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers were also criticized that if the government does not like it, it will be possible to elect another in a few years.

The head of the LSDP also stressed that “it is impossible to stick labels and put people to bed.”

7 immediate offers for rulers

At the LSDP Council meeting, V. Blinkevičiūtė presented the text of the appeal to the Government, with a package of proposals “on immediate actions in the country with inflation and rising prices”.

LSDP representatives state that “energy prices – electricity and gas – have risen to a record high in Lithuania this year” and there are no reasonable assumptions so far that they will decline in the near future.

The party also notes that “residential and business customers have been experiencing an increase in electricity and gas prices for some time”, so this change will inevitably impact the growth of prices of products and services in a Next future. According to the text of the appeal prepared, especially in Vilnius, where the price of heating is expected to increase by 50 percent.

The LSDP warns the rulers that, according to a survey by the National Network of Organizations for Poverty Reduction, approximately 150,000 households in the country lack money for food.

The document also recalls that the existing income compensation and indexation procedure in Lithuania is ineffective and that the highest level of risk of poverty is found among the elderly.

It is explained that the average old-age pension is many years behind the risk of poverty line, “and this gap widened last year; remembering that about 164 thousand. people receive an old-age pension of up to € 300.

At the same time, the LSDP takes into account that part of the proposals presented to the Government of the Seimas in the fall session would reduce the income of the population next year, and the proposed amendments to the Labor Code would worsen the situation of the employees. .

Noting that the government has not yet presented a tax reform that would reduce the burden on low and middle income wage earners.

The party recalls that there are no government fiscal initiatives to increase the taxation of large capital and large assets, and therefore the revenues of the state budget in 2022, and highlights that the rise in prices of raw materials and other resources will have a direct impact. in citizenship. , consumers and companies prices of services and goods.

“Noting that the rulers’ foreign policy towards China is likely to increase the prices of raw materials and products imported from this country, which will also increase the prices of services and goods for the population,” LSDP officials said.

For the reasons listed above, the LSDP calls on the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to take the following immediate steps and we offer our constructive assistance in the drafting and improvement of the relevant bills:

1) Review and better target social and financial instruments that increase household income: through tax-free income adjustments (NPD); as well as more socially just tax changes (such as a more progressive personal income tax covering all personal income, regardless of origin), which would reduce inequalities between low- and middle-income people; increase the taxation of large capitals and large assets with a view to greater budgetary redistribution;

2) Although not endorsed by employer representatives, take plans from 2022. increase the monthly minimum wage (MMA) to € 730, as agreed with the unions; Increase the income of employees who receive a fixed salary from the state budget by adjusting the basic amount of the official salary (salary) of public officials;

3) Keep the existing 9 percent. value added tax (VAT) relief for heating; establish a 9 percent preferential. VAT on electricity and gas rates for domestic consumers; review, in cooperation with municipalities, the effectiveness and affordability of measures to help those with the lowest incomes cover heating and utility costs; address the situation of highly indebted people by reviewing existing debt recovery arrangements for the most vulnerable groups in society;

4) In the public energy sector, promote competition and review the profitability criteria of state-owned companies so that the lowest possible price – corporate profits, the burden of growing corporate profits;

5) Introduce green taxes only to ensure that they do not affect the weakest;

6) Implement in practice the government agreements that allow increasing the salaries of those who work in the public sector (teachers, doctors, lecturers, civil servants, cultural workers, social workers, etc.); accelerate the increase in old-age pensions; encouraging employers to treat their employees fairly and in consultation with their employees, for example by giving priority in public procurement to all companies with collective agreements;

7) Implement comprehensive measures to support families: introduce a higher universal benefit at the birth (or adoption) of a child; guarantee the care of children under one year of age at least one or two days a week in nurseries; ensure that all teaching materials in schools are free; increase the volume and improve the quality of free school meals.

The LSDP will have to decide on this document in the party council, and the document’s editorial team will begin work.