G. Paluckas: I would play both S. Skvernelis and R. Karbauskis on the basketball court

In a special interview series dedicated to the Seimas elections “Why do you vote?“We invite you to meet G. Paluck, who has led the LSDP since 2017, who is also the party’s candidate for prime minister.

Tomorrow, Monday, read the continuation of the interview: what G. Paluck thinks about the Astrava nuclear power plant, what the rulers did well and how badly, what the Social Democrats would change in the state and how he would choose the coalition partners.

– You have suggested speaking here, next to the House of Lords. What does Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas mean to you?

– First of all, this is a person who has been able to unite and unite all of Lithuania. I am not exaggerating in saying that. Apparently, he is the only president so far elected by an absolute majority of Lithuanian voters. A man who had to unite two epochs: Soviet Lithuania and independent Lithuania and, as they say, he had the trust of society and people on both sides. It will not disappear from the pages of history, although sometimes we try to appreciate one or another contribution, action or speech through the spirit of our time through all the left and right political battalions, but the importance of the work done is obvious. . In history, it is valued and will be valued.

– You are on the list of party number 1, which probably means that you will also be a party candidate for prime minister if the LSDP wins the elections, right?

– Yes, this is a perceived responsibility for which I have been and will prepare myself since the election as party president, because that is the political and cultural tradition, that is the mission of the president to take responsibility both in happiness and in the failure. In this case, if there were public confidence, he would have been and would be prepared to assume that responsibility.

– Do you think people see you as a leader? Here I saw such a simple home: Facebook followers. You lead the biggest party, but 5.6 thousand follow your Facebook. people, in comparison Karbauskis almost 30 thousand, Landsbergis more than 60 thousand. What does this say about you?

– He says I’m on the verge of national politics. This is obvious. I am not a member of Seimas, I am not often in the limelight. When other journalists ask what one decision or another will be, they are more likely to ask the decision makers. That’s the number of followers that naturally is higher because people look at decision makers.

However, this balance of positive-negative evaluations must be evaluated in the same way. In order, 30 thousand follow you. people, but how many of them really love you, or at least they like what you do? I still don’t have the negative charge of such luggage. Similarly, as I mentioned, national consciousness is quite limited. But leadership is revealed in the circumstances: taking responsibility and doing the job for which it is called a voter or party. I have done my job as party president and will continue to do so. There were difficult decisions about relations with green farmers in the coalition, quite difficult decisions about what to do with our former colleagues, nationally known, former prime ministers, and so on.

I am not a member of Seimas, I am not often in the limelight.

So far, none of those decisions have caused harm. Rather, it was right in my head. So I look to the future with confidence and optimism.

– And would you have enough experience to become Prime Minister, especially when you have not even worked in the Seimas and warmed your feet there? Isn’t that an obstacle?

– Lack of experience is always an obstacle, but it depends on how people learn so quickly. Another thing is what they have life experience in general, what they have done in life, what they have done. This municipal work experience is very relevant and important, because there you touch the problems of those people like a living nerve. I can’t say, you know, we’ll take something somewhere when a person says, give me where to live, I have no job to do for me. There is tremendous responsibility and direct here.

Similarly, working in the private sector, establishing a private business in the field of high technology, such a real variety of my experience that I have a lot. I never took responsibility. Sometimes I have suffered the responsibility, but these are my principles, a stage of life so hard that I have passed.

– Two parties have found another leader, not the party president, but another non-party leader proposed by the prime minister. Have you not considered that option?

– I can judge subjectively, but I think it is bad, because we see and we have seen during the end of Seimas’s term, when the party leader turns in one direction and the non-party prime minister moves in the other direction. Not only are there personal conflicts that we could tolerate because we wonder what the public is like there, but it determines the quality of decisions and whether or not they are made in general. Such situations are programmed here.

The party leader has no moral right to give up the party program, the Seimas election program, and the person who is not in the party says: look, I don’t really like what is happening here, I am not a party member and I can go there. When there is a lack of consistency and focus, the public interest and the quality of decision-making suffer.

– Some would argue that his party leadership also led to failure. For example, cities lost during the municipal elections: the Social Democrats are no longer on the council of the capital. What do you do yourself when you are no longer the vice mayor you live in?

– The fellow journalists sometimes ask me: how do you manage to cultivate? You know, it’s my hobby. Not my main activity is agriculture. After all, everyone loves something, you like to grow tomatoes on the windowsill, keep a parrot cage or whatever. I have ducks, chickens and bees. I really like it, it’s like occupational therapy, calming down after political struggles, psychological trials.

But I have already mentioned that one of my main occupations is the creation and development of companies. We are a partner in 2010. Established the UAB, which manufactures and exports worldwide lithium chemical battery management systems for electric vehicles, energy storage management systems and other things: software, electronics. So here is my heart, my education, because I am a programmer who graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at Vilnius University, and everything else is a hobby, because it is very enjoyable.

I find many like-minded people driving around Lithuania, interacting with people. Poultry, beekeeping, very fun activities for other beekeepers. I recommend it to everyone.

– Are you out of business as an owner or do you currently work for your company?

– I am a co-owner, the business works well, dividends are paid and income is declared, it is enough for me and my family to cover all financial costs. I also work for the party: the party president is paid a salary that covers travel and meeting expenses.

– And do bees and poultry make you a little peasant inside?

– There is a very healthy trend here to shorten the food supply chain. Instead of a farm, factory processing, store the shelves in a simple way: farm table. I’m very happy. Yes, it is not cheaper, but it is much more fun and enjoyable when you grow up, you know what you eat, what you eat later, when you can participate in social distribution: feed your neighbors, make them happy.

– But you still don’t operate in the market?

– No, I’m not trading on the market yet. I still don’t feel that need. On the other hand, why not? There is an offspring, a growing son, a daughter: they are very interested, they like it, I mean, listen, go, stop at the market, I will get that commercial certificate, maybe people will laugh and not understand, but it is entrepreneurship, the desire to feel the value of money, earn money. Manage, you never know if you’ll ever do that. It’s fun, fun to have a hobby.

– Another of your hobbies is public knowledge: basketball. Everyone heard that you met Saulius Skvernelis to play basketball. There were rumors at the same time that you could play with him in a team and in a political game. Why didn’t any of that come out and you still find yourself at least throwing the ball?

– As in basketball, sometimes you stay in the penalty area with your elbows and it happens that the referees do not register fouls and then they get angry because you are pushing me from behind, you wanted to hurt me, it is similar in politics. I do not know if I will ever lead a joint team for Lithuania, a joint team, in politics, but on the basketball court, I have no doubts, I will play with both S. Skvernelis and Ramūnas Karbauskis. Both together, to be honest. I can challenge a penalty kick, boldly, if I dare, we can stop at the basket and beat it, as people say.

On the basketball court, I have no doubt that he would play against S.Svvernelis and Ramūnas Karbauskis. Both together, to be honest.

– Another stage in your life was with the conservatives. Were you a young conservative when and why did you change your mind?

– There is a great legend here, but in principle there are a few months of that communication and contact with young conservatives, when my friend and I, while studying at the university, consider the need to be civic, politically active, to do something. At that time, the youth organization JKL was sufficiently developed in its activities, it was interesting, we went, we looked, we participated and then the paths separated. In turn I went to my activities, a friend emigrated, now he lives abroad. That is our relationship.

In fact, I am pleased to have had access to the activities of youth organizations. Do you need to draw deep conclusions from this? I think that I, as a politician, have matured for a long time and these attitudes have taken shape in different circumstances, but I hope that youth organizations, both Social Democrats and conservatives and liberals, are as successful as possible and attract as many young people as possible. . Or maybe they are just good citizens, but politically intelligent, knowing what to choose, how to choose, what principles to follow in elections.

– The most famous scandal you have been told, which is likely to repeat itself in the context of these elections, is the conviction for the extermination of rats. Perhaps you can present your version when it was discovered that you were convicted?

– There is a version The responsibility for that version is what the court has said. And the version is simple, it is a municipal company that the old council had decided to privatize and launch a tender to buy services.

Meanwhile, the company itself owned more than 1,000 spaces on Totorių street in the old town, employed more than 100 employees there, and had to provide services to the city of Vilnius for the past 20 years on the basis of a transaction agreement. internal. This, in turn, with a sense of responsibility both against employees and inadvertently selling that property halfway because the director of administration was responsible for those matters, we decided to end that public tender and continue to outsource services to the municipal company. The court found that it was a violation that the municipality could have purchased those services at a lower price and that I had to compensate for the so-called difference, the damage. That is the history

I know that political opponents paint it in various colors, accuse it of corruption and the like, and corruption is on the mind of people’s bribes and other nasty things that ruin the political system, but nevertheless, yes, I am responsible . I do not choose responsibility, for my part, I never deny it anywhere and I go ahead, trying to justify my reputation as a politician, my name with the good actions and decisions I can make. I will not change the past, I can change the future.

So when I entered politics, I said to myself that I had to be competent, that I had to educate, I had to read, I had to dig deeper.

– What pushes you to be a politician? Who are you to be a politician?

– I asked myself that question as soon as I came and joined the LSDP, I joined the party without being invited or offered by anyone, without recommendations, which surprised the political figures of the time. In my opinion, I am fascinated by the opportunity in politics to change those things that do not satisfy me. In a broad sense, not just around you. This is the best opportunity to make a difference. Yes, if you are lucky, businesses can do many things through charity, but in politics, with the public’s trust, you can get direct instruments here and now to take and change the lives of many people, the principles of many activity areas.

Of course, with that responsibility given to people, comes a great commitment, because it can split a lot of firewood, it can ruin it. So when I entered politics, I said to myself that I had to be competent, that I had to educate, I had to read, I had to dig deeper. I need to know all the different areas of public life and politics, because it is not my financial future that I have created that will depend on it, but the many people that I sincerely want to help. It may sound dramatic: destinies, life chances, but it ties me up and fascinates me in politics.

– What type of book are you currently reading?

– I am currently reading “Pine that laughed” by Justinas Marcinkevičius. For literacy, for discussion, because work is valued in an ambiguous way, which has led to extensive discussions between academics and politicians. I had not read it, so now I have read it, I am reading a bit and trying to understand how much literary beauty there is, and how much ideological burden, or really Just.Marcinkevičius is guilty of what some people are accused of. We will see when you read, I will be able to comment.

In the second part of Monday’s interview, you’ll also find out what major issues G. Paluckas would like to solve, why he doesn’t want to talk about future coalitions, and whether it would be a problem if LSDP remained an opposition party for another four years. .