„I was sure that she would join the Democratic Union in the Name of Lithuania because she is a protégé of Saulius Skvernelis. (...) Another betrayal. But it is not us who have been betrayed here, but the voters“, Karbauskis told Elta on Wednesday.
„It is what it is. Now, we have cleansed ourselves of these people, and we have concluded that people of liberal views cannot be with us for any reason whatsoever because they are still Liberals. They will remain Liberals,“ the politician stressed.
Karbauskis admitted that it was a mistake to accept Liberal members into the ranks of LVŽS before the 2020 Seimas elections. The politician does not spare any reproaches to his former comrade Skvernelis for this.
„Here is the mistake we made in 2020; we admit it. Saulius Skvernelis and the other Liberals who were with him – we were fooling ourselves when we were told that these people are not Liberals because now Democratic Union in the Name of Lithuania' is another Liberal party“, the politician said.
„We believed the words of Saulius Skvernelis, and he projected his new party, saying that he was not doing that. (...) Our people (to join the party created by Skvernelis – ELTA) were interviewed right after the 2020 elections, even though Skvernelis swore he was not doing anything. Still, the party went around to different chapters and managed to persuade 170 people,“ Karbauskis regretted.
On Wednesday, the Democratic Union in the Name of Lithuania announced that economist Rojaka will replace Veryga in the Seimas. Mr Veryga, elected to the European Parliament, will cease to be a Member of the Seimas on 15 July.
ELTA recalls that the EP elections ended on 9 June. Six new politicians will renew the Lithuanian delegation in Brussels.
Andrius Kubilius, Rasa Juknevičienė, and the current Seimas vice-president, Paulius Saudargas, will represent the TS-LKD party.
President Vilija Blinkevičiūtė and Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis will represent the LSDP. LVŽS party representative was elected Member of the Seimas Aurelijus Veryga.
The Freedom Party will be represented in Brussels by former presidential candidate Dainius Žalimas. The Democratic Union in the Name of Lithuania sends MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius. The LLRA-KŠS party will be represented for a second term by its leader, Waldemar Tomaszewski, and the impeached Petras Gražulis will represent the Union of Nation and Justice (centrists, nationalists). Meanwhile, the Liberal Movement will be represented by MEP Petras Auštrevičius, who will continue his work in the EP.
