„I couldn't answer that. They weren't there. I don't know if they were invited, but I think they were. I can't answer why they didn't come,“ replied Social Democrat Orinta Leiputė when asked where their coalition partners had gone.
„I think that our coalition partners trust our faction, which I represent, but as for why they didn't come, you'll have to ask them yourself, because I can't answer that question,“ she added.
At the beginning of the week, Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas, advisor to the prime minister, told Lrytas that Ruginienė was inviting representatives of all Seimas factions. The prime minister met with the opposition in the Seimas on Tuesday. On Friday, a joint discussion was planned, with both the ruling coalition and the opposition participating.
„Going against common sense leads to bad results. The government has not emerged from the balloon scandal and is drowning the public in the migrant scandal. It's only a matter of time before it explodes!“ This was the message shared on Friday morning by Remigijus Žemaitaitis, Chairman of Nemuno Aušra, during a meeting at the government.
After the meeting, Democratic leader Saulius Skvernelis said he was not at all surprised that the Nemuno Aušra and Peasant parties did not attend.
„They no longer surprise me about anything, and today there are statements and accusations against the government regarding its decision on migrants, that this government will blow up Lithuania with its migration policy. This is no longer surprising. But that is what the opposition is for, which has a powerful sense of statehood, and we will undoubtedly help the Social Democrats to deal with the challenges and the crisis in this situation.
Their non-participation shows a confident attitude. The other two coalition partners may see different ways to resolve this issue. He met with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, so is Mr. Žemaitaitis planning a visit to Minsk?“ asked Skvernelis rhetorically.
He also missed the leadership of President Gitanas Nausėda.
„Leadership. We need strong leadership. Of course, this is the government's primary area of responsibility, but at the international level, that leadership is really needed. We have to make ourselves heard. It cannot be that our journalists ask a question of some high-ranking European Union or NATO official, and the answer makes it clear that he does not even know we have such a problem.
These are foreign policy issues that the president can take up and raise high,“ said Skvernelis.