The Social Democrats, who are loudly discussing their future victory in the autumn parliamentary elections, are so far only surprised by the change in the rhetoric of the LVŽS towards them.
„This is not a grudge, but facts – in the past, our colleagues from the Peasants' Party used to accuse us on every corner of being Liberals, of keeping the Conservatives in power“, recalled Social Democrat Gintautas Paluckas.
However, according to the politician, Karbauskis's thinning of the tongue and publicly calling for unity is not a bad sign.
„We don't take it to heart, but when we see that the rhetoric is changing... I think that everything is for the better. You can always get angry,“ he said.
However, the Social Democrat is in no hurry to accept Karbauskis' invitation. According to him, it is still the time to negotiate with a politician who has long been a harsh critic of the LSDP about the formation of the government.
„We are sober about that invitation to talk. We should not put the cart before the horse. We need more respect for society. After all, he said they want to hear the Seimas elections programmes „.
Moreover, Paluckas added, the Social Democrats themselves would still need time to ensure they are on track with the Peasants.
„I followed my wife for three years. Therefore, the Peasants could walk behind our party chairwoman a little longer and make an effort – I don't see any problem with that. It would help if you showed that you are trustworthy. You need to look at the history of the relationship,“ Paluckas noted.
However, Paluckas did not rule out the possibility of future talks with the Peasants on government formation. According to him, the Social Democrats have only one unbridgeable line on this issue – the Conservatives.
„The Conservatives are on the right, and we are on the left, and we will certainly not mix things up even though some people will talk about the rainbow. The Social Democrats will not form a coalition with the Conservatives. But it is too early to talk about concrete agreements with the Peasants. We need programmes and lists. We will only be able to talk when we see the big picture. And that will not be until after the first round. In my opinion, we need to respect the voters,“ said the politician, who is considered a contender for the premiership behind the scenes of the Seimas.
Karbauskis renewed his proposal: they would meet after the EP elections
For his part, Karbauskis continues to argue that it makes sense and is necessary to sit down as early as possible to discuss the potential formation of a government. However, in response to the Social Democrats' first reaction, Karbauskis points out this could also be done after the European Parliament (EP) elections.
„I will modify my proposal – let's meet and talk after the European elections. They should show certain things: what the ceiling is for the Conservatives and so on,“ Karbauskis said.
The Peasant, who invited the Social Democrats to negotiate, did not make too much of it and did not substantially retreat from his previous criticisms of the left-wing party. According to the politician, his current call for talks can also be seen as a test for the Social Democrats.
„We have heard what Blinkevičiūtė said that she will not work with the Conservatives. I understand that they would not want to work with the Peasants. This is probably because the party's leadership does not share the same views as we Peasants. But looking at the LSDP, I will repeat that 95% of its people have traditional values. The party has had traditional values since the time of Brazauskas,“ Karbauskis explained, adding that in this case, the Social Democrats' answer would send an unmistakable message.
„If they avoid answering, or if their answer is negative, it suggests that they are saying one thing to the voters and thinking something else,“ Karbauskis concluded.
