„There are several such prominent politicians on your party's list, and Ignas Vėgėlė is the most frequent debater from your party. I remember the 2016–2020 term very well when you chose to stay in the Seimas and argued that it was essential to manage the group. Aren't you afraid that you might lose your leadership by not being a candidate and having such a bright and ambitious colleague in the Seimas?“ asked the Speaker of the Seimas.
For his part, Karbauskis, who gave up his mandate as a Member of the Seimas last term, said he did not understand what the politician was talking about, as he was going to the debate himself or Aurelijus Veryga, who was leading the list.
„If it is better for Lithuania that I lose my leadership, then I would probably wish to lose that leadership, but to answer your question, I don't understand what you are talking about, what debates and that we are sending Ignas Vėgelė everywhere? Because I am sitting here now, not Ignas Vėgėlė. There will be a debate on Saturday and tomorrow, and Aurelijus Veryga will participate. I don't understand that statement because it doesn't correspond to reality,“ the party leader said.
„As far as cooperation is concerned, in any case, all things that bring people together for a common goal benefit Lithuania, and you understand that very well. And in this place, we are delighted that people from the Ignas team have joined our party. And in this situation, if more lawyers come to the Seimas, the Seimas will only be stronger“, he added.
Kasčiūnas on a coalition with Social Democrats: we could compensate for their weakness in defence
At the same time, Gintautas Paluckas, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, asked Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas what expectations he had for the future Social Democratic Government. Kasčiūnas jokingly replied that the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) had not lost hope of forming a coalition with the Social Democrats and working together in the Government.
„Well, we could compensate for your weak defence with strong muscles. And we could move together, I think, towards at least 3.5% of GDP, building up the Lithuanian division, developing global defence, taking in the German brigade. Together, we can do it“, Kasčiūnas said.
ELTA recalls that the TS-LKD has repeatedly mentioned possible cooperation with the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania led by Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, but the Social Democrats themselves strongly deny such possibilities.