„When we talk about our responsibilities, we are aware that if we withdraw from the negotiations of this governing coalition by our own decision, the Liberals will probably join, which would certainly be a much worse situation for Lithuania and its prospects in terms of transparency of Government and other aspects. We are aware of our responsibility,“ Karbauskis said.
The red lines previously drawn for the Social Democrat Gintautas Paluckas as a possible Prime Minister if Vilija Blinkevičiūtė resigns have also disappeared.
„I cannot answer that question. I am simply trying to say that if we do not enter the ruling coalition, the Liberal Movement will enter it. We will go into negotiations in any case; that is clear. We will talk about safeguards and other things,“ the leader of the Peasant Party said.
„I don't know yet the circumstances nor any conditions to which we would retreat. There is no such thing yet, and we are not discussing it“, he said.
What are these possible safeguards? Karbauskis explained that one option could be their delegated representatives „in various ministries.“ They would monitor possible corruption. If they did, the Peasants would immediately withdraw from the coalition.
Do they have better ministers than the Social Democrats?
The LVŽS board, which met in the Seimas on Tuesday, was drawing up a plan of further action—reviewing the programmes of both the Social Democrats and the Democrats, looking at what programme provisions coincide and what differs. And what was finally agreed?
„We are working. We didn't agree on anything. The main question is what the future Government will be able to do good for the people, which is the Government programme. The other question is what responsibilities will each party have in the future Government“, said Karbauskis.
According to him, it will be necessary to discuss how to resolve the differences between the Peasants' and the Social Democrats' approach to tax policy. There are more points of contact with the Democrats.
„When it comes to tax policy and the economy, the programmes seem very similar, but the approach to the representation of human rights is slightly different. But these things may not be accentuated in this government as they were in the last Government,“ said Karbauskis.
The leader of the Peasants' Party pointed out that the party would also have proposals for the composition of the future Government, even for those ministries already occupied by the Social Democrats who won the elections.
„We will have our vision of where we could be instrumental, where we have the most vital people who could be more potent than potential partners even in the ministries that the Social Democrats have identified. In any case, the President wants the most competent government possible.
In this situation, the parties should understand, and we will certainly offer people for more than two or three ministries. It is a matter of negotiation,“ he stated.
Who are these people? The politician named former MEP Bronis Ropė as one of the options.
„I can clearly say that there is no politician in Lithuania who can represent the interests of agriculture in the same way as Ropė,“ the LVŽS Chairman stressed.
According to him, the best person to work in the Ministry of Justice would be lawyer Ignas Vėgėlė: „It is difficult to say who could name a better lawyer than Ignas Vėgėlė among politicians and current members of the Seimas.“
The Peasant leader said he had not heard anything about the proportions of only one ministry being offered to them.
And what will they do if Saulius Skvernelis declares that he will not go into coalition with the Peasants? Karbauskis said this would be an attempt to blackmail the Social Democrats who won the elections.
„If blackmail is used, it could end up with the Social Democrats making different decisions than the original ones“, he said.