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56 MEPs signed a public call for Germany and EU High Representative Josep Borrell to halt construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, in response to the poisoning of Russian opponent Alexei Navaln. Of these, only four representatives from Lithuania: Petras Auštrevičius, Rasa Juknevičienė, Andrius Kubilius and Bronius Ropė.
The remaining six Lithuanian representatives decided not to sign the petition: Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Stasys Jakeliūnas, Aušra Maldeikienė, Liudas Mažylis, Juozas Olekas, Valdemaras Tomaševskis and Viktoras Uspaskichas.
Voters were surprised by the decision of some politicians not to support the initiative.
The director of the Center for Eastern European Studies, political scientist LInas Kojala, suggests not considering the number of Lithuanian representatives in the EP who signed the invitation:
“From what I have heard, Lithuanian MEPs did not have significant differences on issues related to Russia. At least clearly. I do not know if this does not sign in this case means different positions or more logistics: perhaps those who collected signatures did not apply to all , or not all of them managed to sign ”, evaluated the political scientist.
In his opinion, regarding the Nord Stream 2 project and its impact on the Baltic Sea region or Ukraine, there is a very strong consensus of political parties in Lithuania.
Maldeikiene© Ovidijus Lukošius
The reasons are different
Aušra Maldeikienė MEP has published a post on the social network’s Facebook account explaining the reasons for her decision.
According to her, one of the authors of the initiative, Sergey Lagodinsky, a member of the German Green Party, acted inconsistently, “rushed into hysteria,” changed the timing of the letter asking for a strong condemnation for the Navaln poisoning, but He did not mention the pipeline.
Maldeikienė’s file states that on September 3, another representative of the same party, Reinhard Hans Butikofer, circulated a letter on a joint appeal demanding the suspension of construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, including the poisoning of Navaln.
“I have not signed this letter. And I do not intend to sign: on March 12, 2019, the European Parliament adopted a” Resolution on the state of EU-Russia political relations “, underlining that” the Nord Stream 2 project increases the EU’s dependence on Russian gas supplies threatens the EU internal market and is not in line with the EU’s energy policy or its strategic interests and must be stopped. “
I do not see any sense in repeated letters when there is a joint decision of the entire EP on this issue, “summarized A. Maldeikienė.
The Lithuanian representative in the EP called the initiative “Fight between German parliamentarians” and declared that he did not want to participate in it.
Professor Liudas Mažylis, who topped the list of conservatives in the European Parliament elections, explained that he broadly supported the initiative but lacked quality in its implementation.
“We just realized that he disagreed. That was not the case. It was an offer to possibly join the appeal and how many people guessed they did, and I was among those who seemed partly critical. No to keywords. from that letter: that Nord Stream 2 has flaws, but also because of Navaln. I certainly agree that people cannot be poisoned, “said the MEP.
According to L. Mažylis, the document prepared lacked quality.
“It just came to our notice then. I have nothing wrong with other MEPs, but perhaps I have had a chair in this place that those letters are not so written. It should be taken more seriously. I also understand those who signed, read that Navaln it is intolerable and, in the end, it is an opportunity to return to the topic of the gas pipeline project. It is good that there is such an initiative. However, if my student presents me with the incomplete text, I would ask him to correct it “, summarized L. Mažylis.
Valdemar Tomaševski and Viktor Uspaskich MEPs said they had not heard of the initiative.
“If someone really needs a signature, they can find me by phone or email. By mail, “added V. Tomaševskis.
The Social Democrat Juozas Olekas knew nothing of the invitation. He explained that the invitation to join the initiative was probably lost in the mail.
“It just came to our attention then. If I had seen it, I could have signed it. I am in favor of us having some influence so that Russia does not do it. It can be one of the tools, “explained J. Olekas.
Liudas Mažylis© The european parliament
Call on Germany to stop Putin’s pipeline
Calls to end Putin’s pipeline are growing in Germany, demonstrating a response both to events in Belarus and to the poisoning of Navaln by Novičiok, a Russian special service.
However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed the opinion that Nord Stream 2 is a “science-based project unrelated to the poisoning of Alexei Navaln.” Russia will not fully investigate the poisoning of the opposition leader.
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, meanwhile, said sanctions against Russia could be ineffective, saying he was not aware of any cases in which the sanctions would force a country like Russia to “change its behavior.”
Angela Merkel© SCANPIX
According to Kojala, the pressure on Germany over Nord Stream2 remains high, and there are also voices that internally believe that Russia’s actions against Navaln, political assassinations, disinformation campaigns, and actions in Syria cannot fail to respond. that the project could be suspended to influence Russia’s actions is considerable.
“This is being talked about today not only by the most right-wing German political forces, but also by the Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, who represents the Social Democratic Party. This shows that today’s debate has reached a stage that did not exist. before. And as a result, the chances of redesigning the project seem higher than ever. Even more so when the amount of gas from Russia is still sufficient, it does not require additional infrastructure. In this case, as if the initial need to complete the project now it wasn’t too big, ”says the political scientist.
More than 1.2 thousand. kilometers long, 55 billion. cubic meters of annual yield, nearly 10 billion. The pipeline, which will cost one billion euros, will be installed alongside the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline of the same capacity, which has been in operation since the end of 2011. The project is scheduled to be completed in the next few months and, at the latest, in mid 2020.
The United States is actively fighting against the construction of the pipeline: on December 20, 2019, when the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced sanctions against Nord Stream 2, the construction of this pipeline on three special ships of the Swiss company Swiss Allseas stopped immediately. 94% of the pipe was laid when the project was stopped.
