Elders of the group about the MAMA awards: The event raised questions that it is time to answer

Lithuanian politicians evaluated this event in various ways. According to the elders of the Seimas factions, it is impossible to speak unambiguously about the event that took place on Saturday, because it is possible to understand the arguments of both critics of the event and supporters of the event. More importantly, however, the precedent to the MAMA awards event has raised questions that need to be addressed now, as shutting down the state and its various sectors is not the only solution.

R. Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė: on the red carpet, without masks, in places of birth, with?

Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, elder of the Lithuanian Christian Democratic-Union of the Fatherland faction, the largest partner of the ruling coalition Delfi.lt He said that he has great knowledge of creative people, but at the moment the situation is too fragile and complicated.

“The situation is still very fragile and it is really quite hot in the sense that people have not seen their loved ones for a long time and sincerely adhere to the quarantine requirements, which is not really pleasant for anyone. I also understand creative people for whom the setting and the practical things that flow from it are very important. But then it becomes difficult to explain why mothers have to give birth with masks, and we see a different reality on the red carpet, “said the MP about her position at Saturday’s event.

When asked whether it might not be worthwhile to think of alternatives that allow events to occur without the virus backing off, a conservative spokeswoman stressed that what experts say should be taken into account and heard.

“Masks are becoming our daily routine, some nuances are possible. All over the world, we are seeing a situation where the number of diseases is dancing significantly in the short term as more releases are implemented. In Lithuania, the current situation and the releases are better than in Belgium or Berlin – this is one.

Clearly, people are tired. I hope that the scope of vaccination will increase in the near future, and when people need to be vaccinated, especially those in the risk area, I believe that we will all be able to breathe better, ”said R. Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė.

A. Norkienė: brought reflections on how to implement solutions in practice

Aušrinė Norkienė, chair of the largest opposition faction of the Lithuanian Union of Greens and Peasants, said the event encouraged thinking about ways to return to normal life slowly and carefully. Still, the rehearsal MAMA awards event, he said, was possibly too large in scope and scale.

As I understand it, when organizing this event, the organizers read the quarantine conditions. We all understand that we have been living in quarantine for years. I think people have taken responsibility for organizing such an event. Perhaps the most important and critical reactions were provoked by the behavior of the participants during the filming. The situation needs to be clarified by the relevant authorities, which they did – the police said they were clarifying.

On the other hand, I am well aware that once we are as closed as we are, we will certainly no longer be able to live. However, everything should be done with the greatest possible responsibility. We see that we have to look for ways in which that life can return to the most normal path ”, assured the peasant.

A. Norkienė noted that, at the same time, the event brought real and practical reflections on what the Minister of Culture should think, how the decisions taken should be implemented in practice.
“We have to take small steps forward, not sit closed and wait,” he said.

A signal for the government

Jonas Pinskus, the oldest of the mixed group of members of the Seimas, emphasized that this was a signal for the Government to promote the search for the necessary solutions.

“There can be no one-size-fits-all answer. On the one hand, the start of the third wave is already on the brink. On the other hand, all people are tired of restrictions. The situation must be evaluated by specialists. Public outrage is high because some really pay too much This is a signal to the government, because it is no longer possible to ban everything in this way and then release everything.

We emphasize limitations, but we do not emphasize vaccinating as many people as possible and as quickly as possible. I do not understand how thousands of unused AstraZeneca vaccines in Lithuania are in warehouses and they cannot deliver them for use, which puts more responsibility on municipalities. Everything must be done centrally, but that centralization is not being handled properly “, Delfi.lt he said.

Algirdas Sysas took a similar position when calling for the search for non-standard solutions. A. Sys, the eldest of the Social Democratic Group, assured that he himself had not seen the event and had learned about the whole situation from the press.

“I love music, festivals and awards, but the possibilities of such an event have probably not been fully explored. I have little idea how the bubble was made here. I know how to bubble in sports: athletes close in advance, they test themselves and do not come into contact with anyone. It is not clear if that was the case here as well. People who are being punished for reuniting three families are outraged, “he said.

According to him, closure and restriction decisions are not the only and most appropriate.

“Everyone is angry, tired of shutting down, that’s why we see so much domestic violence, a lot of bad words in the breadth and comments on the internet. You have to think and look for ways, perhaps it is a pre-test, preparing for one event or another and maintaining all the requirements of epidemiologists, it is a way of learning to live differently. We are unlikely to get rid of the coronavirus shackles so quickly because there are no drugs yet. We need to look for non-standard solutions, not just close, not just restricted ”, he explained.

Appreciated with skepticism

On Saturday, Ieva Pakarklytė, the senior of Freedom Faction, also expressed her negative position regarding the event in the space of the social network. She also confirmed it on Monday.

“The police have already begun to review the circumstances, this is a specific case and should be left to the control and evaluation of the responsible authorities. “We are only planning to invite the Minister of Health and other responsible government representatives to the faction and discuss the problems of the pandemic,” he said.

According to her, the meeting is scheduled to discuss various issues related to the management of the pandemic. If events were planned, according to I. Pakarklytė, it is important that the test procedure is provided at the state level, which ensures safety and reliability.

Eugenijus Gentvilas, the eldest of the Liberal Movement faction, was also skeptical of the MAMA awards.

“Society is looking for ways to get freedom. The government is looking for ways to liberate some by thinking about people’s responsibilities. So at least it gives some impetus to liberation and it turns out that people’s responsibilities are very limited. Hedonism and the desire for pleasure outweigh caution and responsibility and a sense of duty towards other people.

There were situations where he still had to isolate himself for two weeks after taking the test. Subsequently, that time was reduced to ten days. We have heard that a negative answer to the test does not guarantee that you are not really sick yet, because you could get sick after the test. Here, the public or, more precisely, the young people themselves have decided what the answers to the test mean ”, he assured.

According to Labor Party elder Vigilijus Jukna, the MAMA awards were just the blink of an eye.

“An event of this kind, which took place at a time when quarantine requirements are tightening for everyone, when businesses are closed, when motion controls are tightening, is the blink of an eye against people. . I do not justify this event. I don’t think that should happen. Some people are closed in their municipalities and cannot go anywhere, the event took place here without safe distances, without masks, ”said V. Jukna.

However, the representative of the Labor Party pointed out that, considering the future, the possibility of organizing events should not be completely ruled out. But the possibilities of similar events must be evaluated by specialists.

“Yes, we need to find ways to release the situation, how to handle it, because we cannot live in insurance all the time. We have to look for alternatives to insurance, we have to get out of this situation,” he said.

E. Gentvilas was cautious in considering alternatives to event posting.

“It is necessary to analyze the alternatives, but when this happens for the first time in a hundred years in the world, no one can say which alternatives work best. You have to think and know the alternatives, “said the major of the Liberal Movement.