„Compared to the Conservative-Liberal coalition, 2019–2020 was an easier year to work in, as personalities were not as prominent as in later years. It was more of a political process than a war of personalities. There was less arrogance, less adolescent desire to do the opposite of what the President is proposing“, says Nausėda in Lavaste's book.
According to the President, neither Skvernelis nor his then associate, the Chairman of the Peasant party, Ramūnas Karbauskis, wanted to actively interfere in the prerogatives of the Presidency. However, Nausėda emphasises that there were times when sparks were lit—for example, when the scandalous „road story“ was criticised or when the ministerial candidacy of Lukas Savickas was presented in an uncoordinated way.
In addition, Nausėda claims to have learnt from Karbauskis that Skvernelis „had a personal grudge“ after losing the 2019 presidential elections.
„Skvernelis did not show his anger directly. But his posture changed – sometimes he was more welcoming, sometimes he avoided communicating not only himself but also stopped ministers' visits to the Presidential Palace. However, this did not last more than a few days,“ Nausėda said in the book.
„But Skvernelis is a man of feelings. As happened with the asphalted road to his house, he can get angry very quickly,“ the President said.
Civil Union Bill not supported: issue raised under duress
In the book, Nausėda also sets out his views on human rights issues, specifically on the issue of partnership. The President explicitly declares that he does not support the Civil Union Bill. According to him, this legislative initiative aims to „extend the concept of family formed through marriage in violation of Article 38 of the Constitution“.
The President stresses that he has repeatedly said that same-sex relationships should be regulated. However, he asked what means could be used to achieve this.
„Former Member of the Seimas Paulius Saudargas correctly understood my point of view; he tried to revive his initiative as an alternative to the Civil Union Law. I think that is what angered some people the most. It was realised that the Civil Union Law could be vetoed, and there was a renewed uproar. The impression is that the advocates of Civil Union are not even interested in solving the problem because then they would lose their political platform,“ the President said in his book.
„I would like to conclude this topic by saying that those who raise this issue consider Article 38 of our Constitution an empty place. This is unacceptable to me, the President of Lithuania, who has as one of his most important duties to respect our fundamental law, the Constitution,“ he said.
The members and the Head of the VSD Whistleblower Commission must be held accountable for their actions – politically and perhaps even legally
In his biographical book, Nausėda also talks about the parliamentary commission investigating the story of the State Security Department (VSD) whistleblower Tomas Gailius. The President recalled that the investigation was initiated six months before the election of the country's Head of State, and only a couple of weeks later, the Chairman of the commission, former Member of the Seimas Vytautas Bakas, made an „almost cosmological prophecy“ that „Nausėda may run out of fuel before the second round of the elections“.
„But the prediction collapsed like a balloon. History has shown that Bakas himself ran out of fuel because, as we know, you don't get far on an empty tank,“ Nausėda repeated a phrase he had already uttered earlier.
Nausėda does not doubt that the previous ruling coalition set up the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry to investigate the alleged „sins“ of some of the institutions and him. He noted that the commission was based on a book published by two journalists, Birutė Davidonytė and Dovydas Pancerovas. According to the President, the book „pretends to be a journalistic essay expressing the subjective opinion of the authors, rather than a serious, documented investigation“.
The President also reiterated why he had not answered the Commission's questions.
„Yes, I am not testifying. Why? When I saw the questions, I realised that they are so subjective that even if I repeat everything, I have already said a thousand times, there will still be attempts to create something new out of it, to come up with new questions, to burn the President on the bonfire of the inquisition they have set up,“ the President said in his book.
However, Nausėda noted that some parliamentarians had appealed to the Constitutional Court (KT) about the commission's work.
„I think that the commission's members, first of all the Head of the Commission, must be held accountable for their actions. Politically, and maybe even legally,“ he said.
As announced, Lavaste's book President Gitanas Nausėda: Up Close is expected to be published this month. Petro Offsetas is publishing the 400+ page book.