[ad_1]
The interim capital chief says he believes the ratings of publicly available public figures can be easily “regulated”, so his leadership in the ratings has only made him laugh personally.
In an interview with the ELTA news agency, V. Matijošaitis explained why, unlike the leaders of other major cities, he managed to avoid conflicts with the central government during the peak of the coronavirus crisis, and why he will support the ” peasant “rulers and Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis in the Seimas elections in the fall. The first, says the mayor, has greatly improved during his tenure, and the head of government does not allocate money for dreams, but makes a significant contribution to the real work in Kaunas.
V. Matijošaitis wonders why, according to him, the cabinet of ministers forgot the temporary capital when Kaunas was led by the conservative Andrius Kupčinskas and the government by Andrius Kubilius.
– There was no shortage of disagreements between the central government and some municipalities in the fight against the coronavirus crisis. For example, there were a number of disagreements between the central government and the Vilnius municipality regarding the isolation of citizens from abroad and the random testing of residents. Klaipeda’s mayor, Vytautas Grubliauskas, often appeared at the epicenter of disagreements. However, Kaunas managed to avoid more pronounced conflicts with the central government. Why do you think that?
– The reason is simple: in case of disaster or problem, everyone has to concentrate, everyone has to do their job. It is better to redo something and make a mistake than to go into empty discussions and prove yourself. Even before the coronavirus epidemic was declared, Minister Aurelia Veryga and I were looking for a city where we could quarantine people. And the ministry had chosen a sanitarium, where the nursing home is now. In fact, this would have been a problem, since the introduction of at least one case of coronavirus among grandparents would have spread the disease to all.
Therefore, we chose the object in Kulautuva, we found a good empty unit of the tuberculosis sanitarium and even before announcing the quarantine, we discussed with the Minister to prepare a larger base here. Two weeks after its announcement (quarantine – ELTA), we have prepared a super base with 200 beds, although it can accommodate up to 400 people. The base is fenced off, and locals have been warned about it. We do not feel any hostility from the residents of Kulautuva, because everyone knows the distance that is kept closed.
It was a municipal initiative. Employees of our companies spent two weeks in this sanitarium with managers and prepared the facilities. They are ready now, God forbid, they should not be used, but we were ready. We are currently negotiating with the Government, the Property Bank (that the object in Kulautuva – ELTA) will be exchanged for some object and in the future we will do what we have created in preparation for the virus in a nursing home.
– During the Conavirus pandemic, many mayors of the country’s cities actively participated in crisis management. Mayors were constantly visible in public space, trying to be the first to communicate information related to coronavir. Why did you decide to take a slightly different path after all?
– We have chosen the path that the city, its residents and the people of Lithuania need. I am not a politician and there are no politicians around me, well maybe just one. There’s Simon Kairys, a liberal, my adviser. And in general we are not politicians and for us to be on the air, talking … First of all, people woke up the same faces. Aurelijus Veryga is the Minister of Health, he is responsible for all this, so he speaks, he discusses how we will do it, what trends and you do it. Such situations cannot be exploited for self-promotion. But you will not take this bread from the politicians here.
– Although you do not consider yourself a politician, but as mayor you are chosen by the electorate. Don’t you think that your lower visibility during the coronavirus crisis could have further damaged the already low ratings? Won’t your disappearance from the air cost you political leadership? Are qualifications important to you at this time in general?
– It doesn’t matter. When my grades were too good, and there was a time when they were the highest, frankly, it was a bit of a laugh, a little surprised by them. But those high and high marks are not very important to the mayor. Beautifully landscaped streets, beautiful sidewalks, landscaped parks, stadiums, and schools must be important to the mayor in order to live in the city.
I do not classify myself or my team members as fools, and the classifications can be influenced by any intelligent person, they are quite simple to regulate. After all, thanks to journalists, it is possible to adjust the ratings. And perhaps the press is itself the biggest creator or downgrade. And for qualifications in the presence of a coronavirus, thinking about how to smile, what to tie, is fun.
– Let’s talk a little more about politics and the upcoming Seimas elections. How do you see the situation in the country’s politics in the run-up to the elections? Isn’t that the case with politicians who are too focused on electoral success in an attempt to demonstrate their uniqueness to the public and therefore suffer from the quality of work of the Seimas and the Government?
– I will be unpopular, but in my opinion, it would be great if the members of the Seimas could not have more than two terms. That would make sense. The president, two terms, the mayor would also be raised by two terms and everything, go to work elsewhere. And now it seems that most Seimas have even forgotten how many terms there are. What is the use of being there if they forget what came there. It would be better for people to change, rotate, it is important that people come who understand where it came from, what can be done and what should be done.
– And what do you expect from the next Seimas elections? Which candidates or political parties do you plan to support? Perhaps, as during the last Seimas elections, will you express your support for Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and the Union of Peasants and Greens of Lithuania?
– The Peasant Party seems to have improved during this period. And I will unequivocally support the Prime Minister. Maybe I like the fact that we both have an engineering education, we are both mechanical engineers, graduates in the same specialty, who once worked in law enforcement. He did not agree with such a logical, sensible, clear and responsible speech (Prime Minister – ELTA) in the Government. But I am speaking of a wide range of prime ministers because I had to interact with all heads of government while in business. If S. Skvernelis would remain in his position for another term, I think it would be good not only for Kaunas, but also for the whole of Lithuania. Of course, if he wants it himself.
As for the “peasants”, I have little idea of how we can or cannot support them. But as far as we have to talk to the members of “United Kaunas”, there are two people from our organization in the Seimas right now, namely Lithuanian peasants and greens. I think there will be more people going to the Seimas with them. But that is not bad for the city, ours, as far as I know, does not join the parties. I am mainly interested in city affairs. But it would be nice if the Seimas would relax a bit from all the veterans so that youth would come. Because now, if you tell me at least 5-10 differences between the parts, how they differ … I do not differ at all.
– Would you and Saul Skvernelis be the prime minister for the second term?
– I would definitely like him to stay for a second term. Why did I remain mayor for a second term? Because you don’t have time to do bigger projects in one term. In a private business, there is a lot you can do in four years because it depends on just one of you, and here everything depends on the length of the procedures. When I became mayor, I planned much more that the stadium will be built … Everything does not happen so fast and you return to daily life when you do not like the company, it works badly, but you do not come and tell me to gather things and leave . You must terminate the contract and then announce another offer. This is an example of our stadium. Maybe now we have a new contractor who can start work in a month and a half. But there are 7-8 months wasted.
– If you have already mentioned the stadium of Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas, could you clarify the situation regarding its construction, what is the expected duration of construction of the stadium?
– On June 10, we had to loot the envelopes with the offers, but we extended it until June 19. The commission will meet and see who won. But then it will be another good month before work can begin. (…) It is important for us to build a stadium and not because of the amount Vilnius planned to build, because the number of seats is the same.
– Is Kaunas likely to build his stadium faster than the Vilnius City National Stadium?
– I do not want to speak, because they say that the man plans, and God laughs. Let’s hope.
– Returning to the topic of coronavirus, how do you see the city of Kaunas after the coronavirus pandemic? What are the inevitable changes the city is waiting for?
– I would like the people who came to the quarantine to stay here and not leave the city. And a lot of space, many plans. We are preparing the Aleksotas Industrial and Innovation Park, where companies will be able to invest in the production of superior technologies and jobs will be more interesting. There will be a lot of work, the most important thing to have people.
– The Vilnius Mayor encourages employers to continue working remotely, to apply acquired teleworking skills in the future, allowing employees to work remotely at least 1-2 days a week. What do you think about teleworking? Do you encourage the municipality to use the teleworking skills acquired after the end of quarantine?
– I would like to see how the mayor of Vilnius would see a turner working remotely. There are different jobs, and the people who work in the municipality of Kaunas worked remotely, but basically we work in workplaces, between people, but at safe distances, because that is the base. If we start the morning conversation at this table (in the Mayor’s office – ELTA), now the morning conversations and meetings start in the great room, where the council meetings also take place, we meet there every morning. I am in favor of working online, but live chat is very important. We will not live alone on television, the quality of work will escape.
– New office buildings are gradually emerging in Kaunas, so I wanted to ask about the very concept of city development. How much competition in this area with the capital?
– We do not compete with the capital, I am always in favor of having enough employees for Vilnius, Kaunas and other cities. I would like wages in Lithuania to increase, people to grow and everyone to be busy. Lithuanians are creative people and can fight for themselves and for the Fatherland, as Vytautas demonstrated in his time, when he traveled to the Black Sea. Here, perhaps unless the correspondents want there to be competition between cities. The mayors of Kaunas, Vilnius, Klaipeda are different people, but we communicate normally. We have gone through different stages of life.
There are three strategic directions to the city of Kaunas: one is the island of Nemunas, in mid-June the results of the tender must reveal who will build the island of science: the only science museum in the country, then the ambitious plan is have a new, ten lane water sports center with a 50 meter long swimming pool near Žalgiris Arena, which meets international standards. There are also Darius and Girėnas stadiums, it’s just one of a big complex project. We already know what the whole great Sport Street Square will look like, as well as the new athletics stadium planned next door. The sports hall will be welcomed for a century, changed and renovated significantly, but maintaining its authenticity. The reconstruction of Ąžuolynas Park and the Song Valley is also strategically important to the city. And the third address is the Aleksotas Industrial Innovation Park. These are the plans and the reasons why I stayed for a second term. There is no possibility to implement this during the first period, preparations were underway.
And the Prime Minister has the right attitude: he does not distribute money for dreams, but contributes to real work in Kaunas. Kaunas was carelessly and mistakenly forgotten, and it was always strange to me why Andrius Kupčinskas, who had been mayor of the city for almost two terms and had the Prime Minister of A. Kubiliai, ruled without initiative and without imagination.
– I also wanted to know in what situation is your initiative to connect part of the territories of the Kaunas district to the city of Kaunas. Is there still a possibility that this project can be implemented?
– This is not a project. If in ancient times, to send a letter, you had to have a dove and attach the letter to your leg, now your letter ends in Japan or America in a few minutes with the click of a computer (…). Norway, for example, is reducing the number of municipalities. The Norwegians started doing this reform in 2015 or 2016 and now they are implementing it because there is too much administrative apparatus where everyone not only has a tablet but everything they need on the phone. So you don’t need that many people anymore.
When I became mayor, we cut 150 of the 780 municipal employees. There was no one to complain, we looked by age, we supported something to retire, we paid compensation to everyone and the people renewed themselves a bit. We still wanted to reduce the number of municipal employees, but we naturally let it decrease. With us later, some people left alone and nothing changed for the worse, only for the better.
– But specifically, is there any news about the connection of the Kaunas districts with the city of Kaunas?
We do this process, but it is a long way through the dunes. Everything depends not only on us but also on other state institutions and, as always, the process can be quick but it can be delayed indefinitely. But it is logical, not only the Norwegian but also the Irish did it, the Latvians think about it. Better to be one of the first and deal with those costs. After all, people would feel better and their incomes would increase with everyone.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of ELTA.
[ad_2]
