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Experts, reviewing the activities of the port city mayor, Vytautas Grubliauskas, during the coronavirus crisis, admit that the mayor did not avoid criticism from the central government to solve the challenges posed by the coronavirus. However, experts point out that V. Grubliauskas often avoided taking real actions and making unpopular decisions.
During the coronavirus crisis, Visvaldas Matijošaitis, the mayor of Kaunas, who is rarely seen in public, according to experts, made a decisive and politically calculated decision to avoid public attention. Political scientists are convinced that V. Matijošaitis deliberately avoided criticizing the central government for the current close relationship with Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and rulers’ leader Ramūnas Karbauskis.
V. Valentinavičius: It is not convenient for V. Matijošaitis to enter into conflict with the rulers
Virgis Valentinavičius, associate professor at Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), emphasizes that in the fight against the coronavirus crisis, the mayors of Klaipeda and Vilnius were much more notorious in public than the mayor of Kaunas. On the other hand, according to him, objective factors also contributed to this. The political scientist points out that the capital and the port city had to face greater challenges during the crisis than, for example, Kaunas.
“The mayors of Klaipeda and Vilnius were much brighter and more visible than the mayor of Kaunas. However, I would like to draw attention to the fact that both Klaipeda and Vilnius had much more serious outbreaks of coronavirus. At that time, the things were a little more modest in Kaunas, ”V. Valentinavičius told Eltai, adding that this naturally scheduled more frequent and larger clashes between local and central government.
“Let us recall the situation in which Aurelijus Veryga put Vilnius, when he ordered that people who had suddenly arrived from abroad be housed and quarantined in hotels. In the case of Vytautas Grubliauskas, desperation was often heard at conflicting instructions. from the central government. It was unclear what to do with people returning to Lithuania by ferry, “he added.
According to V. Valentinavičius, at the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the central government was quite distracted both in decision-making and in communication with the public. Therefore, frequent and sharp criticism of A. Veryga and S. Skvernelis, the heads of the capital and the port city, emphasized the MRU political scientist, in a sense it turned out to be good: it became a kind of incentive to organize work and assess the situation more appropriately.
However, when evaluating the role of V. Grubliauskas in the fight against the coronavirus crisis, the political scientist does not forget the investigation initiated by the Attorney General’s Office on the violations registered by the Ministry of Health (SAM) at the Klaipėda University Hospital (KUL ). V. Valentinavičius recalls that the mayor of the port city has not yet made the decision to remove the head of KUL, Vins Janušonis. According to the political scientist, it will depend on this decision how V. Grubliauskas’ qualification will change.
“Everything will depend on how V. Grubliauskas will solve this situation, because the collected actions can fall very quickly. This whole situation is changing very quickly, it is active and here it cannot be guaranteed: one day you have qualifications and the next you no longer have them” said the political scientist.
At that time, the mayor of Kaunas, in my opinion V. Valentinavičius, did not intentionally show the initiative to express a more critical opinion towards the central government that makes mistakes. The reason for this is a convinced political scientist, political considerations, and close friendships with S. Skvernelis and the ruling leader R. Karbauskis.
“Perhaps your intimate friendship with Mr. R. Karbauskis and Mr. S. Skvernelis are to blame here. V. Matijošaitis may not have set too many eyes on the central government for political reasons. (…) Even when there were problems in Kaunas hospitals, V. Matijošaitis did not express his opinion, “said V. Valentinavičius.
“I think there is a simple thing here: a crow will not attract the attention of a crow.” Let us not forget that V. Matijošaitis, R. Karbauskis and S. Skvernelis are very closely related political allies, ”he added.
In summary, V. Valentinavičius made it clear that the slow policy of the mayor of the temporary capital, sponsored during the crisis, may ultimately cost the political influence and support of Kaunas residents. According to him, the reality of such an outcome is reinforced by the fact that V. Matijošaitis’s ratings began to decline steadily after the local government elections in 2019. Therefore, according to the political expert, considering the current situation, Kaunas City Mayor’s ratings are unlikely to rise again.
„V. Matijošaitis needs to return to the old role of active and often visible politician, or accept that it will be much more difficult for him to maintain the mayor’s presidency during the next municipal elections, ”summarized V. Valentinavičius.
A. Pukštas: The decision of the Mayor of Kaunas to distance himself from the rulers is politically calculated
Andžejus Pukštas, associate professor at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU), says that V. Matijošaitis’s decision to avoid public attention during the coronavirus crisis is politically calculated. Although the political scientist agrees with the idea expressed by V. Valentinavičius that it is not convenient for V. Matijošaitis to conflict with the rulers, according to A. Pukštas, neither is it convenient for Kaunas Mayor to associate with the rulers.
„V. Three years ago, Matijošaitis constantly emphasized support for S. Skvernelis, support for the Peasant and Green Party of Lithuania. So it seems to me that it is more worth distancing yourself from the government at the moment. Especially since the “peasants” will no longer have the initiative in the Seimas elections, “said A. Pukštas.
“Probably the most cautious position of V. Matijošaitis is fully justified and calculated politically,” he added.
A. Pukštas is convinced that R. Šimašius gained the greatest sympathy from the population in the context of the coronavirus crisis, the ideas of which even reached the foreign media.
“R. Šimašius won because his ideas were heard not only in Lithuania, but some of them also received attention in the foreign media,” said A. Pukštas, recalling R. Šimašius’ proposal to make Vilnius an open air café. free and organize “Kino pavasario” movies at Vilnius airport.
“I have to admit that R. Šimašius can communicate,” he added.
According to the political scientist, V. Matijošaitis did not win or lose the sympathy of the additional voters due to the coronavirus crisis. However, according to A. Pukštas, V. Grubliauskas lost most of his public sympathy for the coronavirus, failing to take real action on time in the face of the crisis.
“It seems to me that the mayor of Klaipėda lost more here, because the situation in Klaipėda was complicated, the most complicated, he began to comment very actively, and in fact it was necessary to act more than to speak,” said A. Pukštas.
„V. Grubliauskas is the biggest loser in this situation, “summarized the political scientist.
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