„We sometimes confuse personal relationships with the decisions of one or another faction in the Seimas. In fact, I was shocked — I will not hide this — by the non-appointment of one of the most competent lawyers in Lithuania as a Constitutional Court judge. I can't see it as anything other than revenge, especially since the vote was secret and some people even hid behind anonymity,“ the president told reporters in Brussels.
As previously announced by the Presidency, by voting against the appointment of Šinkūnas, the Seimas was trying to retaliate for the amendments to the Criminal Code (CC) that were previously vetoed by Nausėda and were favourable to the „cheque“
However, political circles say the ruling party rejected the president's candidate because of Nausėda's criticism of the decision to nominate party member Julius Sabatauskas to the Constitutional Court. The president called this politicisation.
For his part, the president says he does not hold a grudge against the Social Democrats and promises to meet with Social Democratic leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius in the near future.
„The decision has been made, and I'm certainly not making a big deal out of it as if it were the end of the world. I intend to meet with the party Chairman, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, in the near future, not to vent my grievances, but to discuss the current political situation, government affairs, ministerial appointments, and the future of the coalition. I believe that such discussions should be regular, and, incidentally, they have already taken place in the past,“ the country's leader told reporters on Thursday.
ELTA reminds that on Tuesday, the Seimas appointed Julius Sabatauskas and Artūras Driukas as judges of the Constitutional Court by secret ballot. At that time, Šinkūnas, whom the president nominated, did not receive sufficient support from parliamentarians.
The president does not rule out the possibility of resubmitting Šinkūnas' candidacy to the Seimas.