The party president is quoted as saying, „I have no chance to be Prime Minister because of my age and health.“
„I am convinced it would be difficult for a Prime Minister who is almost 65. I am just retired and have been assessing throughout the election period how responsible the job would be and how much it requires health and strength. I can honestly say that I have to make decisions that make the Government and the Prime Minister work, and to hold a position just for the sake of holding it, I have never had such a desire,“ it says in the publication
Politico points out that even before the elections, Ms Blinkevičiūtė assured that she would take up this position, but after the second round, she avoided answering this question.
Finally, on Wednesday, she announced that she did not intend to take up the post of Prime Minister but would continue her work in the European Parliament.
„On Wednesday, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė nominated former party leader Gintautas Paluckas as a candidate for the post of Prime Minister, calling him the best candidate with the necessary experience and qualities required for the post of Prime Minister,“ writes Politico.
On Wednesday evening, amid speculations as to whether Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, the Chairwoman of the election-winning Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), would be willing to lead the future Government, the politician announced that she did not intend to take up the post of Prime Minister. The Social Democrat does not intend to work in the Seimas either—Blinkevičiūtė plans to continue her fourth term in the European Parliament (EP).
„I am convinced that it would be difficult to work as a Prime Minister at almost 65 because I am a pensioner and have assessed during the whole election period how responsible this work would be, how much it requires health and strength. I have to make decisions that make the Government work, and I have never wanted to take a post for the sake of taking a post. (...) First of all, I took into account my age and my health,“ she stressed, adding that Paluckas, the deputy of Blinkevičiūtė, is proposed for the post of Prime Minister.
