"We can talk about the same Head of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr Žygimantas Pavilionis, who is now actively expressing his advice or opinions to the President," Jansonas told Žinių Radijas on Tuesday, explaining his previous statements and his analysis on the influence of the statesmen.
"In the same way, I can take that 2008 list and see that he is on that list as one of the main actors. It's just a question of comparison, and I guess the problem is that people's memories are not very good. (...) Sometimes you have to recall recent Lithuanian history," he explained.
He also explained why he spoke about the intentions of the statesmen to occupy essential positions in the country. He said that when the statements of certain politicians and diplomats turned into threats, the situation needed to be taken much more seriously. In this context, Jansonas mentions the statements made by the signatory Albinas Januška on Facebook.
"As long as Mr Januška simply had his own opinion, which he actively expressed on social media, it was interesting to watch and read. It was even more interesting when he started to list where and which ambassador he thought should be appointed and who was good. When the threats started, the undisguised threats against the President, the proposals to reduce the powers of appointing ambassadors or to raise again the issue of Lithuania's representation in the EVT, it became less funny. When it became clear that the same ideas would suddenly start floating around in the Seimas, the URK and (...) become a reality in a few days, it was more interesting to watch", he explained.
The ruling party's reaction was surprising: if it was painful, it must be true
F. Jansonas' statements about the statesmen were quickly criticised by those in power. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said she was ashamed of such discussions in Daukantas Square. At the time, the Chairman of the Seimas URK, Ž. Pavilionis explained that spreading such conspiracy theories was an anti-state act.
Jansonas said he was surprised by such reactions. However, he thought it probably shows that there is some truth in the talk about statesmen.
"The sudden and very aggressive ad hominem reaction surprised me a little. On the other hand, I understand that it is painful if people react like that. If it was painful, it means that it is (...) similar to the truth", Jansonas reasoned.
Reacting to accusations about the disclosure of diplomats' names, the President guessed them.
The Presidential Adviser also reacted to criticism of the President over the disclosure of the names of a couple of diplomats who had taken part in the competition for the post of ambassador to Poland.
F. Jansonas insisted that G. Nausėda had not disclosed anything. According to him, the Head of State had probably guessed the names of the diplomats because, he reiterated, he had not received a list from the Ministry naming all the persons who had taken part in the competition.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not list participants in the depoliticised selection. If the President guessed the names of the people who took part, well and good riddance," the adviser said. "The list was not provided to him. In this case, if in public one or the other person says he participated - we know that. It is not a big problem. No lists of those (ambassadors - ELTA) who participated in the selection process were submitted to the Presidency. This raises the question of whether there was a selection process at all, whether it was depoliticised and fully conducted", Jansonas argued.
Believes that the selection of ambassadors should be changed
Although the Seimas has amended the laws on the procedures for appointing diplomats during the current parliamentary term, the Presidential Adviser believes that the selection of ambassadors should be further improved. Jansonas pointed to the selection process for judicial appointments as a good example, where the President is presented with all the names of those who have participated in the competition rather than a single nomination.
"In this case, I think such a system in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would be to everyone's benefit and would be much more transparent, much simpler, and there would be much less doubt as to what influences the choice of one or another name that is brought to the President," he stressed.
"The procedure should and could certainly be improved," Jansonas added.
Lithuania has not had an ambassador in Poland since the beginning of September
ELTA recalls that the President's Office and the ruling party continue to argue about who is to blame for the lack of an ambassador at Lithuania's strategically important embassy in Poland. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says he has no answer about why the Lithuanian embassy in Poland has been without a ambassador for four months. The Head of the country's diplomacy says he has submitted at least two ambassadorial nominations to the President, which were rejected.
The Minister also made his position known to the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, pointing out that the search for an ambassador started as early as August 2022 but that the process stalled after the names were submitted to the President. Mr Landsbergis pointed out that there had been two competitions for the embassy in Warsaw. In addition, he said, he understood that Mr Nausėda had also put forward his candidates, but, according to the Minister, they were not suitable.
For its part, the Presidency explained that the candidate proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (URM) for the post of ambassador did not speak Polish. The President of the Lithuania also pointed out that the Ministry was politicising the appointment of an ambassador to Poland and was trying to patronise certain nominees for the post.
Later, in an interview with tv3.lt, the President gave the names of a couple of diplomats he said had taken part in the selection process for the heads of the diplomatic mission in Poland, namely Petras Zapolskis and Kęstutis Kudzmanas.
Nausėda himself has also been accused of criticism of the URM and public statements that the appointment of the diplomats is politicised. Albinas Januška, a signatory of the 11 March Act, also criticised Mr. Gitanas Nausėda, claiming that Nausėda was deepening the conflict between the institutions. He also questioned whether Mr Nausėda had broken the law by publishing the names of diplomats.
In response to these comments, Frederikas Jansonas, the President's Senior Adviser, stated that the so-called statesmen clan was trying to take over positions of national importance in the Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic service. Such statements were criticised by the ruling party, but Mr Nausėda pointed out that Mr Jansonas had shared his insights after "some" analysis.
The Lithuanian Ambassador to Poland, Eduardas Borisovas, was recalled on 7 September at the end of his term of office.
