Coalition treaty review: what was agreed and where disputes await

1. Economic and social policy. Coalition partners acknowledge that they have not yet agreed on the level of public sector funding and possible fiscal changes. The Liberals have not included provisions to lower the tax rate, but promise that labor taxes will not increase and the possibility of waiving taxes on reinvested earnings will be “evaluated.” The agreement emphasizes the traditional policy of the right to increase the efficiency of the public sector, reduce business regulation and encourage investment. Reducing social exclusion is promised by improving access to social services. Pensions, child benefits and other social benefits are not mentioned in the contract.

2. The transformation of education. The coalition identifies reducing exclusion in education as a top priority. The parties promise to provide children with “the same opportunities to achieve the best education, regardless of their place of residence or social status,” to increase teachers’ salaries to at least 130 percent. average salary, but the measures are not detailed, nothing is said about the revision of the school network or the class basket model. Research shows that in Lithuania, children’s learning outcomes are poorer in rural areas, where schools are smaller and classes are merged.

3. Human rights. At the initiative of the smaller coalition partners, it was agreed to legalize homosexual associations and the spelling of non-Lithuanian names in the passport, but the Conservatives reserved the right to vote freely, including a clause on “differences of opinion within the factions. ” The coalition treaty does not explicitly mention gay couples as a family. The probability that these laws will be passed is increased by the fact that not only future rulers (about half of the Conservatives, the Liberal Movement and the Freedom Party) can vote for them, but also the Social Democrats and some other members. of the opposition.

4. Foreign and defense policy. Foreign policy has not been a very important issue in the negotiations so far. The treaty emphasizes the “continuity of transatlantic foreign policy relations,” promising to abide by the parties’ agreement to increase defense spending. The document mentions support for “freedom fighters” in Taiwan, which will enrage China. The established promise to “speak openly against any violation of human rights and democratic freedoms” may mean a more critical approach to some of the actions of the Polish government, but national security interests and the president’s position are likely to further the actions. good bilateral relations with Warsaw.

5. Portfolio division. The coalition agreement defines the framework for the negotiations scheduled for this week on the composition and positions of the Government in the Seimas. The document establishes that the positions will be distributed in proportion to the number of mandates, giving a greater relative weight to the positions of Prime Minister and Spokesperson of the Seimas, but a specific formula is not specified. The Conservatives are likely to get the post of prime minister and nine ministers, the Liberal Movement – the post of Speaker of the Seimas and two portfolios of ministers, although they may try to get the third, and the Freedom Party will probably get three portfolios of ministers.