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News portal lrytas.lt The Social Democrat, the mayor of Jonava Mindaugas Sinkevičius and the political scientist Liutauras Gudžinskas, who resigned from the fight for office, spoke about the division within the party, the possibilities of recovering the success of the time of Algirdas Brazauskas and about a possible support for the rulers.
Combat functions
Two candidates, MEPs Juozas Olekas and Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, are competing in the party’s presidential elections that began on Monday. Voting will take place until May 9.
During the broadcast, the acting president of the Social Democratic Party Mindaugas Sinkevičius said that talking about intrigues and tensions within the party due to the election of the party president has a basis, but according to him, in the long term it is not dangerous – when the election ends, passions will calm down.
“I cannot say that nothing is happening and there are no intrigues, all kinds of divisions, contradictions and sparks. But I do not think that after the election of the party president, both candidates will not be able to fly to Brussels on the same plane; it probably won’t happen, they’ll probably even be able to sit next to him, if the fight allows,
“I remember my fight with Gintautas Paluckas, and then there were different leitmotifs. One is about Gintautas’ past, the other is that I am a kind of Algirdas Butkevičius building. Everything was there four years ago, everything is still there,” he added.
According to M.Sinkevičius, two different approaches prevail within the match, the main division: personal and team.
“Juozas Olekas, a person who knows the department and the parties better, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, is probably more objectively recognized and valued by society. Apparently, there is a division, I just don’t know what percentage, at the end of the week we will see when we have a winner, “said M.Sinkevičius.
Decreased motivation
Political scientist Liutauras Gudžinskas, who withdrew from the fight for the party chairman at the time, said of the tension and intrigue that the party was holding direct elections for only the second time, which was challenging.
“The teams, the individual people of the party boil with passion for the sport, they use various methods, but the election is a kind of struggle. However, direct elections, involving all parties, are no better than before, at through agreements, during the congress, when not many tensions are revealed ”, emphasized L. Gudžinskas.
According to him, the passions of the election will subside, but party members are more concerned about the drop in LSDP ratings, which now balance at 5-6 percent. ribos.
“The lower the qualifications, the more tensions, the greater the frustration and the decrease in motivation among ordinary party members to do something, to participate,” said the political scientist.
The importance of the team
M.Sinkevičius agreed that there are two nuclei within the party – V. Blinkevičiūtė, who assured that he can run and remain in the European Parliament, would go to the presidents on the side of G. Paluckas, thus maintaining the influence of the former party leader . At that time, Juozas Olekas represented the oldest elite of the party for the first time.
“I don’t think it’s a complete lie or a complete truth. J.Olekas clearly named his team, where you can see some members of the Seimas, V.Blinkevičiūtė was softer, who invited more people to the team, but did not name them clearly. It is true that there are such nuclei, that logic ”, agreed the mayor of Jonava.
J.Olekas himself has previously said that after winning the election of the party president, M.Sinkevičius would propose to become his deputy. It was also said that after two years of presidency, he would hand over the helm of the party.
During the broadcast, M.Sinkevičius stated that there is no agreement, but does not rule out possibilities.
“I told everyone who knows me that I will not rush to the site this time, but I do not rule out the possibility of escape in two, four or six years, age still allows it, and I am really considering that possibility.
There is no agreement of any kind, it is natural to grow as a politician. I am a politician in Jonava, naturally, I should probably move to the capital. I do not remember that the time will come when I will have to think about the next parliamentary elections. I am not sure that I will run for party presidents, we will see that in two years, “he said.
Forward or backward?
Another problem LSDP faces is the party’s value profile. Isn’t it true that the only way for social societies to survive is to follow the old path, summon the ghost of Algirdas Brazauskas in the regions, because the attempt to return to modern Western social democracy did not resonate with the traditional electorate?
“As we can see, our main political leaders today were the ministers of A. Brazauskas, whether they were Dalia Grybauskaitė, Algirdas Butkevičius or Linas Linkevičius. They were all associated with A. Brazauskas,” noted L. Gudžinskas.
According to M.Sinkevičius, the post-election poll showed that only 3 percent. Social Democratic voters support the legalization of same-sex couples.
“The voter who votes for us, whatever our human rights aspirations, does not recognize the issue that is very important for modern social democrats in the European context,” emphasized the mayor of Jonava.
According to him, the new party president will have to answer the fundamental question: will the party educate the voter, adapt to him, change or return the party?
“A leader is good, charisma is good, but if you say what people don’t like or don’t like, then it’s hard to convince them to vote for you,” Sinkevičius said.
Relationship with the rulers
Gudžinskas said that after the resumption of speeches that the Socdems could be a shadow of the ruling coalition, or if the Freedom Party took offense and decided to knock on the door, the LSDP could change it into the ruling coalition.
“Mainly, what can be expected, in the name of stability, if one of the coalition partners falls, is to support the minority government, in return they would commit to some work that would emphasize what is important to the Social Democrats.
However, remembering the lessons of the last four years, it was a mistake to have some connections with the TS-LKD, which was used by the peasants ”, recalled the political scientist.
According to M.Sinkevičius, according to the votes on human rights issues, the opinions of the Socdems and the rulers tend to coincide, which is why the voices of Ramūnas Karbauskis are heard, “Look, they are the satellites of the right”.
“Of course, there is no way we can make friends or support the rulers. If the Freedom Party or someone else escapes, it leaves the rulers in trouble, they don’t have an absolute majority, a minority government takes office, it could to agree and personally evaluate that state attitude of L. Gudžinskas, if the social democratic commitments appear in the Government Program, it may be possible to consider support for the minority government.
However, I have great reservations, and if it were decided now, in a totally hypothetical way, I would stay out and be in favor of us acting as an opposition party for the entire four-year cycle, ”said M.Sinkevičius.
At that time, the question of the accession of former colleagues from the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party (LSDDP) to the LSDP, according to both social democrats, no longer had any real political significance.
“They showed no interest in returning either after G. Paluck’s resignation or during my interim leadership. I don’t think they have such intentions, I think it is completely irrelevant to them or to us,” M.Sinkevičius said.
