The Lithuanians were called today to elect a new head of state. Nine candidates are seeking succession to incumbent Grybauskaite. She may no longer stand for re-election after two terms.
„I think the situation is worsening, Russia is open and in direct conflict with Ukraine, a country that seeks to be close to Europe, so that Russia is practically at war with Europe!“
For ten years now, President Dalia Grybauskaite, who is now leaving office after two terms, trumpeted Moscow and warned against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The fear of Russia is deep in Lithuania. The tough „amber lady,“ as her nickname, has repeatedly addressed her. Like the other big problem of the country: corruption and nepotism. However, she lost the fight, it continues to be lubricated and muffled.
Nine candidates stand for election
Now, nine candidates are bidding for their successor, especially the pollster Ingrida Simonyte. It advocates for the conservative federation of the fatherland and seems to orient itself to Grybauskaite in foreign and security policy. They were right after all with their early warnings, Simonyte said:
„Lithuania has long been ridiculed as a ‚one-question state‘ because we are constantly talking about Russia and the danger posed by Russia, and then all of us have learned painfully that these warnings were not unfounded: the Crimea was occupied „There are belligerent activities in Eastern Ukraine, something has happened in Europe that seemed unimaginable: Russia has moved borders.“
„It is said that something is wrong in our system“
Gitanas Nauseda, a nonpartisan economist who wants to boost the economy of his country more:
„It is said that there is something wrong in our system, so we can not persuade emigrant Lithuanians, who would be willing to return and build something in the country, to do so, the problem being the huge differences between the small and the big ones There is still a lot we have to do to reduce these regional differences. „
Many are disgruntled with politics
The third promising candidate for the presidency is Saulius Skvernelis of the League of Peasants and Greens, nor is he Prime Minister of his country. Skvernelis stands in foreign policy for a clear „next-Sun“, sees the US as the country’s most important partner – politically and economically. But he is just a man of the system and therefore does not convince all Lithuanians.
Many are disgruntled with politics after various major and minor corruption scandals, and say so quite frankly, as well as Danute, a 63-year-old woman from Vilnius: „What can you do, you can only choose who stands for election I’m with no candidate Satisfied, there is no one who could morally and atmospherically rule the country as president. „
