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We spoke with political scientist Rima Urbonaitė about how to evaluate the ministerial candidates presented by Ingrida Šimonytė.
Ingrida Šimonytė to the President presented by the list of ministerial candidates. Do you think they will all be approved?
It would be strange if everyone were so blessed, because then the president risks receiving many comments or observations that here are, he took them with an easy hand and blessed them, and there was no way he would try to interfere in that formation process.
Although there may already have been some coordination, it is very difficult to say, but on the side, without knowing anything behind the scenes, then it will seem that the President has not intervened at all in the formation of the Government, and there will be a question: how could there have happened this here? I think this may be due to some of the complications of some of the nominations, and perhaps the word of the President is even more critical.
And which candidates perhaps seem weaker who couldn’t pass that blessing anyway?
There’s probably not even a question of weakness here sometimes. For example, due to the candidacies of Minister of Foreign Affairs or of National Defense, which should be the most relevant for the President, there are very few freedoms for him here.
Perhaps to say that the leader of the largest faction and party chairman Gabriel Landsbergis is not suitable for him, such a démarche would have been met with much hostility. And here the president does not have much freedom.
For example, it is more interesting with Mr. Dulkis, who has good authority in society and is now subject to probably the most relevant ministry: the Ministry of Health. But this is a person who was once criticized by the president.
So what reactions can we expect?
Yes, because it has not been confirmed in the second candidacy of the head of the State Audit, then we see that the president is in such a trap. If it’s a blessing then we ask: you didn’t like it there and it fits in here, then why?
Of course, Ingrida Šimonytė has already tried to suggest a bit to the Presidency that the situations are different, but on the other hand, if it rejects it, then again: and why?
When the president did not appoint him, there was a lot of criticism that we had no arguments as to why he was not appointed for a second term. It is at this point for the president that any decision would be complicated and will require further explanation. Of course, there are also candidates with less experience.
Who are the “weakest”?
Well, I think there are fewer candidates from the Freedom Party. The same Dobrovolska to the Ministers of Justice and the transport portfolio.
Of course, Aušrinė Armonaitė himself has those stronger positions. I don’t even know how the liberal candidacy of Mr Kairis for Minister of Culture will be evaluated.
In other words, there may still be some such obstacles here. And by the way, I don’t know how Ms Šegždienė’s candidacy for Minister of Education will be evaluated. It certainly has the backing of the Conservative Party leadership, but how will the president evaluate it? Here, unlike Dulkis, Ms Šniugždienė does not yet have such broad support, shall we say, that she is perhaps not very well known.
The guards ask: what about the finance minister? We also hear the candidacy of Ms Skaistė, but we do not see any real work. Although the education is excellent, but there is no experience. Will that person really be able to manage all the finances of the country?
I think we have a finance minister and a prime minister in one person.
Is this the answer here that there is no need for a strong finance minister?
She is not so weak, but Ingrida Šimonytė’s word will be very important, because she really has more experience in the position of Finance Minister than the nominated candidate. I’m not saying that she will only be the advisor to Ingrida Šimonytė. Well, maybe there is still one more adviser, but I have always said: for the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister is his right hand.
Let us remember Prime Minister Brazauskas and our former President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who said: no, he will not. And did the prime minister have to go down and find some compromise?
We have now seen a slightly sharper finance minister, for example, due to some of the initiatives that Saulius Skvernelis fully supports. But I will point out, however, that this is a distribution of money and it is very important.
A good tandem between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance is certainly not insignificant for him. It is important. And I think Ingrida Šimonytė was really looking for a person that she could trust in the first place and who might even be her right hand.
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