Farewell to the Seimas of “peasants”: unforgettable images, facts and painful lessons

Heavy and constant majority searches

After the 2016 Seimas elections, the ruling center-left coalition was formed. It was made up of the Lithuanian Union of Greens and Peasants (LVŽS) and the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP). With 78 votes, this coalition has taken office.

However, it was only a short time before the ruling majority began to crumble.

Bronislovas Matelis was the first to leave the LVŽS faction, after information about former Seimas member Greta Kildišienė appeared in the media. Soon G. Kildišienė herself resigned as a member of the Seimas.

Dovilė Šakalienė also elected another faction in the summer of 2017. In early 2018, the influential representative of the faction, Povilas Urbšys, retired from the faction. P. Urbšys did not avoid criticism of the LVŽS leader, but the last straw was the decision of the ruling majority not to investigate R. Karbauskis’ business relations.

Justas Džiugelis voluntarily left the faction, although it was planned to expel him from it. His conversation with R. Karbauskis in the social space that took place in the summer of 2018 ended with the resignation of J. Džiugelis. The politician worked for some time in a mixed group of members of the Seimas and later joined the faction of the National Union.

2018 September 11 In the Seimas, the Lithuanian Union of Greens and Peasants, Lithuanian Social Democrats and factions of the Order and Justice party signed an agreement on joint work.

This happened after the split of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party faction in the Seimas, the remaining politicians in the party decided to work in the opposition, while others remained in the ruling majority and formed the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party (LSDDP).

In the winter of last year, Mindaugas Puidokas decided to participate in the presidential election campaign. However, LVŽS had already decided to support the candidacy of Prime Minister S. Skvernelis in the elections. The secret vote in the group was not in favor of Mr. Puidoko, he left the majority.

At the same time, Raimondas Martinėlis, who does not belong to the party, decided to leave the faction. He assured that the comrades were leaving for aspects of value, they chose to work with the Unión Patria faction.

Probably the most painful was the withdrawal of Vytautas Bakas from the faction. The parliamentarian who left the group said that one of the reasons for his withdrawal was a coalition agreement with the Judicial Power “Order and Justice”, and the second was the anti-corruption agenda forgotten by the peasants.

And the third also deals with “Order and Justice”. The Seimas member valued the idea of ​​entrusting the portfolio of the Head of the Ministry of National Defense to this particular party very negatively.

After the presidential elections, a supplement to the ruling coalition was assembled. 2019 July 5 Four parties: the Lithuanian Green and Peasant Union, Order and Justice, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party and the Polish Lithuanian Election Campaign, the Union of Christian Families, formed a coalition agreement.

However, after the collapse of the Order and Justice faction of the party, on its basis, along with other politicians from the Mixed Group of Seimas Members, the “Lithuanian Welfare” faction was formed.

And with him, the new ruling coalition in 2019 signed an intergroup agreement on September 19.

The leg switch by itself

Kęstutis Girnius, associate professor at the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science (VU TSPMI), said that this Seimas was not as bad as claimed. But the whole image, according to the political scientist, was ruined by the rulers themselves, who lingered in unnecessary fights, thus overshadowing the work done.

“That Seimas was not as bad as shown. He had many problems, one of them was Ramūnas Karbauskis, who unnecessarily argued with everyone, there was a civil war with Viktoras Francis, who did nothing good. There were also several commissions from Agnė Širinskienė, when several attempts to join accounts with the conservatives in this way received a lot of attention, “said the political scientist.

Among the works of the Seimas that have already fulfilled its mandate, K. Girnius described the reduction of social exclusion as positive.

“But they also did some good things, they changed the tax system a bit, not progressive enough, because they did not dare to introduce serious property taxes, they withdrew at the last minute. But still, the tax system has become a bit more fair. They cared for and improved the situation of those who live in the poorest and suffer from social exclusion, ”said K. Girnius.

He recognized that it was possible and best to implement these ambitions without making certain decisions.

“In general, as the Americans say, their hearts were in a good place. This is their essential program: that it is time to look to the poorest, not necessarily at the expense of something else. This is probably the first government in which they have taken these issues a little more seriously, ”he said.

K. Girnius Delphi He said that the failures of the ruling party leaders: “anger, desire to argue, blaming others, anger among themselves”, were negatively affected by the darkened and good works of this government.

According to the interlocutor, the citizenry will also get stuck in the tendency of the ruling majority of this Seimas to ban.

“If you don’t live like A. Veryga, he will introduce a law that will ensure that you live as he wants. A lot of people didn’t like it. (…) Do you know that song“ Jurgeli, meistreli ”? That’s why A. Veryga sympathized with that role Only not the children, but the citizens had to do it according to the law, as demonstrated by the Minister ”, ironized the political scientist K. Girnius.

And their byproducts unnecessary struggles actually hurt them. And these things hid those good things, and those good things drowned in controversial passions. And here they are responsible, here it is their fault, they were too busy, they brought out secondary, insignificant, lateral things in public, ”said the political scientist.

What will voters remember?

K. Girnius said that a stronger role for the opposition was lacking in this period of the Seimas.

“In my opinion, the opposition was very weak. If it had worked more effectively, it could have exerted more pressure, contributing to some points of the program. During this term of the Seimas, the split of the Socdema, which will be a blow, the The bulk of the faction went to the rulers ”, commented K. Girnius, another important fact of the Seimas of this legislature.

When asked which event of the last Seimas would be flagged as essential, the political scientist spoke about the collapse of the bubble.

“I was more caught up with those cases of political corruption and MG Baltic: the ongoing trial, the Vytautas Bakas accusations, but when you get a message that there is nothing there. I think there was a scandal here too, the language, as if it were a very serious matter, and it wasn’t there at all, ”shared K. Girnius.

According to the political scientist of the VU TSPMI, this Seimas will be remembered as the parliament that started the social transformations.

“I think this Seimas is characterized by the beginning of social transformations. And for some who only remember the bad, this term will perhaps be remembered by A. Širinskienė, which may not be the brightest moment, ”said K. Girnius.

Should not be ashamed

Lauras Bielinis, professor and political scientist at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), also stated that this Seimas is no longer so bad.

“If we take that Seimas more seriously, we shouldn’t be so critical and think that everything that the majority of the ancient Seimas has done should now be criticized and reprimanded, perhaps even abandoned. Many of those aspirations were perfectly good and normal.” . Delphi said political scientist L. Bielinis.

As one of those works, the political scientist recalled the policy of restrictions on alcohol, which, although it was accepted with considerable hostility, yielded positive results.

“It seems that everyone was in shock at the time, but on the one hand, we are used to it, on the other, the statistics show that deaths from alcoholism or alcoholism have decreased.” In fact, that level of our health has not really deteriorated as a result of this decision, our social life has not really deteriorated. These sometimes seemingly drastic solutions were basically in the right direction, ”he said.

The political scientist said the outgoing Seimas should not be ashamed of the work done.

“In general, I think this outgoing Seimas should not be ashamed of his activities. On the contrary, be proud,” said the political scientist.

Interviewer L. Bielinis added that a lot of good work was done in the social field as well.

“It just came to our knowledge then. We cannot be sad to say that we have had something very bad for the last four years, everything is fine. Those events that were, were natural. This Seimas tried to solve those problems that are not easily solved. Even education. It’s like a stone tied to one leg, an extremely difficult problem. ” Delphi said policy expert L. Bielinis.

Political culture degrades

Sharp speeches and disputes in this House were not lacking. According to L. Bielinis, this is not just a problem for this parliament, but a much longer process.

“The political culture in Lithuania has degraded a lot. And this can be observed year after year, not only in this Seimas, but also in the previous Seimas. Compared to the Constituent Seimas, each subsequent Seimas demonstrated a certain level of decline.

The ancient Seimas simply continued that sad tradition. The political debate has really been simplified, it has simply turned into a chain of accusations between them, in insults, emotions and hysteria. This is not good, it humiliates the politicians themselves in our eyes and it does not give the positive result that we need during the debate, ”he said.

According to the interlocutor, this parliament was not so exclusive that the population could not forget it.

“I tend to think that society very quickly forgets the power it had in previous terms. (…) I don’t think this Seimas was so exceptional as to remember the activities of this Seimas for a long time. (…) All parliaments have consistently followed the common strategy outlined by the Constituent Assembly. ” Delphi L. Bielinis said.

Delphi Remember that the new 13th Seimas will meet for its first session on Friday, November 13. The coalition agreement has already been signed by three parties: the Union of the Homeland – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), the Liberal Movement of the Republic of Lithuania and the Freedom Party, which will form the future Government.