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The bill on the commemorative status of Lukiškės Square in Vilnius was established during the Seimas session on Monday. 78 MEPs, 11 against, 4 abstentions.
Those who voted in favor included the ruling “social workers”, the Polish electoral campaign – the Union of Christian Families, “peasants”, part of the conservatives of the opposition and a social democrat – Bronius Bradauskas, as well as the President of Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis.
Representatives of the Liberal Movement, various Social Democrats and Conservatives voted against or abstained. A significant number of conservatives did not vote at all.
The Culture Committee did not support Vytis, but not the Seimas.
The law on the management of Lukiškės Square, if signed by President Gitanas Nausėda, will take effect on August 1. Will sign, or perhaps veto, a presidential spokesperson in the past 15 minutes did not disclose, although G. Nausėda assessed the beach location as inappropriate.
Until then, the “competent state authorities” will have to assess whether the current layout of Lukiškės Square corresponds to its memorial status, functions and memorial accents established by law, and make “appropriate decisions”.
There is now a temporary beach installed by the Vilnius authorities on Lukiškės Square. Some argue that it is inconsistent with the historical and memorial significance of the plaza, outraged that neither the public nor the municipal council or administration were consulted during the installation of the beach.
In response, the rulers registered the Lukiškės Square improvement project.
Members of the Seimas from the opposition faction of the Homeland of the Christian Democrats of Lithuania (TS-LKD) and the mixed group of members of the Seimas proposed to amend the law and add that the highlight of Lukiškės Square will be “Vytis, a monument representing the state symbol,.
Sigismund Gedvila photo / 15min / Picket “Seimas do not betray Vytis”
Although the Culture Committee did not support such a proposal, the entire Seimas, by majority vote, decided otherwise: Seimas members voted in favor of both the ruling and the opposition.
You can check how each member of parliament voted for the legalization of Vytis in the square here.
He assured that the management of the square was a matter of self-government
Vilija Aleknaitė Abramikienė, one of the authors of the proposal on Vytis, representative of TS-LKD, regretted that Seimas has solved this problem for so long.
“Colleagues, unfortunately, this shows the cultural weakness of our political community, and perhaps the nation. This shows that we do not have a unified narrative of history.” I look with jealousy at neighboring nations, including Poland, where eternal fire for the nation’s heroes it burns in the J.Pilsudskis square, “said the politician, saying that Vytis was a compromise.
I look with jealousy at the neighboring nations, including Poland, where the eternal fire for the nation’s heroes burns in the J.Pilsudskis square.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Vilija Aleknaitė Abramikienė
Eugenijus Gentvilas, a representative of the opposition Liberal Movement, stated that the beach at Lukiškės Square was opposed to the public.
“Is it a deliberate action, a well thought-out step in public relations? I cannot 100%. But the Vilnius City Council has to decide on the issue of the central city and one of the most important squares for the state,” said the political.
According to him, what kind of monument should be in the square is not a matter of Seimas, but a matter of self-government.
“Who should be in that square should be decided by the government, society and professionals, in this case, artists, architects, urban planners,” said E. Gentvilas, adding that dialogue with these groups in society does not take place. .
This Seimas is totalitarian.
“The Seimas has decided. This is what totalitarian Seimas can do. This Seimas is totalitarian,” said the MP and his colleagues at Seimas, who thought that there would be no arena left in Lukiškės Square after the law was passed, they called it naive.
Called to debate rather than pass laws
“The arena is not only in the square, but also in the heads,” said conservative Arvydas Anušauskas. Dear liberals, do not resort to this law, because nobody sees you when it is necessary to honor the memory of the victims of terrorism. “
He called it unfortunate that the historical events in Lukiškės Square are being forgotten.
“When people who look at it and look at it are forgotten. When people are forgotten, for whom those old events, but they cause memories, they cause injuries, they cause post-traumatic stress syndrome, ”continued A. Anušauskas, adding that the law adopted on the provision of the Lukiškės Square should be implemented.
Photo by Lukas Balandi / 15min / Arvydas Anušauskas
Mantas Adomėnas, a member of the Seimas TS-LKD faction, stated that the Vilnius government had misplaced the beach and divided the capital’s residents into two groups. But further, he stated that he did not support the Seimas’ attempt to resolve this by law.
“If we do not have a consensus on the perpetuation of historical memory, it can only be resolved through discussion, discussion, sometimes with great enthusiasm, sometimes with anger, but that is the only way to reach a common position in which we are in agreement, “said the politician.
Aušrinė Armonaitė, a fellow Vilnius mayor, who works in a mixed group of Seimas members, viewed Seimas’s initiative regarding Lukiškės and Vytis Square as an absurd and possibly unconstitutional attempt to introduce direct Seimas government into the square Lukiškės.
“It just came to our attention then. It was supposed to be a small self-government initiative, a small project for the families of Vilnius residents and the guests of the city. […] However, it showed fundamental differences between our relationship with history, “said the politician.
S. Skvernelis also voted in favor
The law on the provision of the Lukiškės and Vytis square in it will have to be implemented, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said after the Seimas vote. He himself voted in favor.
On the other hand, the Prime Minister considered whether it was appropriate to await a court decision regarding the workshops organized by the Ministry of Culture and the “Freedom Hill” monument that was planned to be built on Lukiškės Square.
Julius Kalinskas photo / 15min / Saulius Skvernelis
“I think the discussion and the decisions of the court were about the previous monument,” perhaps it was necessary to finish. That unexpected step with a beach apparently aroused passions, “the Head of Government told journalists at Seimas.
This idea is really good, but I think there really were squares and spaces in Vilnius where it was possible to implement the idea.
At the same time, S.Svvernel assured that it is not facing the beach: “I am definitely not against the beach. As you say, you know, in a classic movie, which you have seen before, that for an idea, 5, but to know the subject, it is not included. This idea is really good, but I think there really were squares and spaces in Vilnius where it was possible to implement the idea. But only not in Lukiškės square. To the Government in the worst case. “
If R. Šimašius is late and does not remove the beach at Lukiškės Square even after August, the requirements of the law will be considered, S. Skvernelis said.
“There is a government representative who will have to react if there is a violation of the law. But, I think we have again found a way to deal with where we really don’t need to,” said the Prime Minister.
Before the Seimas session, during which the issue of Lukiškės Square was discussed, a modest protest action took place in the Parliament House. Pictures of her – below:
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