„I only had the opportunity to speak with a few (mayors – ELTA) – with Akmenė and one other colleague. They are still inclined to maintain stability and a similar composition, perhaps considering the takeover of the Ministry of Culture by the Social Democrats,“ Sinkevičius told reporters at the Presidential Palace on Friday.
According to him, radical changes within the coalition could destabilise the situation.
„They think that some kind of radical overhaul could sink the ship (the state – ELTA) that is sailing on the sea,“ said the Social Democratic Party chairman.
The politician added that the mood of party members regarding the fate of the coalition will likely become clear during the LSDP council meeting on Saturday.
„We will see the mood tomorrow,“ Sinkevičius noted.
After winning the last parliamentary elections and the resignation of the 19th government led by Gintautas Paluckas, the Social Democrats formed a new coalition with the Nemuno Aušra and Lithuanian Peasant, Green and Christian Families Union factions, giving them 82 seats in parliament.
With the cultural community concerned about the Ministry of Culture being handed over to Nemuno Aušra, Social Democratic Party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius did not rule out revising the composition of the ruling coalition.
He said that at Saturday's Social Democratic Council meeting, he would present his colleagues with possible alternatives for resolving the situation that has arisen in the ruling coalition. According to him, both moderate and drastic solutions are possible.
For her part, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė told LRT radio on Friday that she has been prepared to work in a minority government for some time.
Sinkevičius: By actively participating in the formation of the government, the president burned his fingers
By actively participating in the formation of Inga Ruginienė's Government, the president burned his fingers, says Social Democratic leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius. Therefore, the politician believes, the country's leader, who called the ruling majority a kindergarten, decided to withdraw from this process.
„The president apparently burned his fingers by actively participating in the formation of the government (...). I think that he currently wants to leave the political majority (the government – ELTA) the constitutional freedom to arrange and rearrange its composition and to act,“ Sinkevičius told journalists at the Presidential Palace.
„He said that he is distancing himself and will no longer be in charge of the kindergarten or the children's group... Of course, we do not feel like children; we are not playing in a sandbox here, but are deciding on matters of state. We are making decisions and will continue to make them responsibly. At least we, the Social Democrats,“ he added.
This week, responding to tensions in the ruling coalition, President Gitanas Nausėda said he did not want to be a „kindergarten teacher.“ Therefore, according to him, the Social Democrats, the Nemuno Aušra and the Peasants must decide for themselves whether they see a future working together.
„According to the Constitution, political parties themselves must decide who they want to be friends with and who they don't. The strength of the coalition is currently being tested by the fact that we do not have a head of one ministry, so intensive consultations are taking place between the parties,“ Nausėda told journalists at the Presidential Palace.
ELTA reminds us that after the Social Democrats handed over the Ministry of Culture to Nemuno Aušra, the cultural community, outraged by this decision, organised a protest and a warning strike—activists are demanding that Aušra be separated from the Ministry of Culture.
The cultural community is not backing down from its demands, even after Ignotas Adomavičius, a member of Nemuno Aušra who had been the subject of criticism, resigned as minister of culture last week. Representatives of the Cultural Assembly emphasise that this does not meet their primary demand – to separate the Ministry of Culture from Nemuno Aušra.