„Today, I don't see this as a priority for us. If it could be avoided, it would be nice to avoid it for one reason: you cannot have oligarchic individuals who do not take political responsibility and who want to influence the political process by being in the shadows, participating in political processes in a Western democracy. This is the hallmark of post-Soviet, non-democratic states,“ Skvernelis told reporters outside the Presidential Palace.
On Wednesday, after a meeting with the President, Karbauskis himself made similar remarks. He also said that he could hardly imagine working with his former colleague Skvernelis. According to the leader of the Peasant Party, his party could only be in a coalition with the Democrats if Skvernelis did not hold any government positions.
„If he is not in the Government, this could be an option,“ Karbauskis said on Wednesday.
For his part, Skvernelis says that the leader of the Peasant Party's statements only encourages him to think even more about portfolios in the new Government.
„After yesterday's statements – absolutely. Yes, I would see it“, Skvernelis said when asked if he could see himself as a minister.
The politician said he would be most interested in the Minister of the Interior portfolio.
The President envisages a new government made up of centre-left parties
Skvernelis said that during his conversation with the President, he had understood that the Head of State also hoped for a centre-left government.
„I can certainly confirm, and the President probably imagines it too, that the centre-left coalition has a real prospect of becoming the ruling coalition after the parliamentary elections,“ Skvernelis said.
He continued that the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) will most likely become the core of the new majority in the Seimas.
Nausėda's meetings with politicians of his choice continued: he captured Skvernelis marching to the Presidential Palace.
„The centre-left axis should probably be the Social Democrats. The politician said they will be gathering, looking for partners and proposing who they can form a coalition with“.
Skvernelis: By demonising Nemunas Aušra (The Dawn of Nemunas), we are making it very popular
At the same time, reacting to the criticism of the party leader, Nemuno Aušra, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, the politician believes that it is in the interest of the Conservatives to demonise this political force.
„We should weigh what is (more important – ELTA) – whether it is such a domestic anti-Semitism, which seems to be the case, or the danger of being ruled by people who are not clear what kind of people and how they are connected to politics. Here, we sometimes demonise one political force while simultaneously making it very popular, „ Skvernelis said.
„I understand the interest of the Homeland Union to mobilise its voters, to have an enemy, to have that enemy have the biggest possible faction in the Seimas, and then to try to isolate it, thus weakening the chances of the centre-left to form a ruling majority. We are not involved in these games“, he stressed.
The leader of the Democratic Union, Vardan Lietuvos (In the Name of Lithuania), stressed that the position publicly expressed by President Gitanas Nausėda about Žemaitaitis is logical and understandable.
President Nausėda has been meeting with the leaders of parliamentary parties over the past week. With less than two weeks to go before the parliamentary elections, the President has already met with the Chairwoman of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, and the leader of the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union (LVŽS), Ramūnas Karbauskis.
