Conservative leaders – reproaches for aggressive war rhetoric – Respublika.lt

On Thursday, the Seimas solemnly celebrated the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership in NATO.

“Our rulers, instead of talking to the public about the security provided by NATO, chose tactics to scare the public. The Fatherland Union chose to base its election strategy on threats of war.

Yesterday, one of the television channels presented such a survey, as a study, as an evaluation, which reviewed how our country looks according to the search on online portals. It was stated that we now look significantly worse than Latvia and Estonia. Why? Because we see ourselves and present ourselves as a country that will be attacked immediately”, “citizen” Aurelijus Veryga said from the podium of the Seimas on Thursday.

According to him, foreign investors are already avoiding us because of our aggressive rhetoric, “this has been recognized by representatives of ministries and associated business structures”.

“The collection of the budget is deteriorating, people are stopping the release of money, mass layoffs are reported. What happens when all this happens? The prime minister, neither from this nor from that, suddenly causes even more doubts in the public and starts talking about the fact that the Poles will not be able to come to our defense, contribute to the defense, because they are hindered by some legal restrictions. The Minister of Foreign Affairs begins to publicly question NATO’s Article 5. By doing this, we will end ourselves without an enemy. That enemy who is in our East, I think, would really be happy about our achievements like this.

The events of the last few days, when the Minister of National Defense resigned from his position, having raised doubts about the transparency of the use of money allocated to the Ministry of National Defense and Defense, when those in power are organizing almost a putsch through various commissions, accusing not only the President, but also many institutions responsible for the security of our state, shows that we are drawing absolutely no conclusions. By us, I mean in a general sense, and first of all, those in power. Why is this necessary? Seeing what is happening in education, health care, social sphere, when more and more people in Lithuania cannot buy food for themselves, this kind of action is a perfect tool to sow panic and make people think that no matter what happens in the country, the most important thing is that there is no war”. – said A. Veryga.

He was seconded by Aidas Gedvilas, the representative of the Mixed Seimas Group, who asked Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyta a relevant question during the Government Hour.

“The aggressive rhetoric of war that your party has chosen as an election strategy is already bearing sad fruit. A. Lukashenko started to use almost the same words that your party leaders and you use, it is true, when talking about the threat that Lithuania allegedly poses to Belarus. Even experts notice that Lithuania’s image in the world, compared to other Baltic countries, is worse, business avoids investing, and the promotion of fear in our country is most useful to V. Putin and A. Lukashenko. Therefore, today in this hall, when the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO membership is being celebrated, I want to ask you how you feel when such people start copying you, and you yourself are doing them a favor by sowing fear in Lithuania? And how much longer are you going to scare and create tension for the Lithuanian population because of your narrow political ambitions?” – asked A. Gedvilas.

I.Šimonytė stated that this is not a question, but a political statement.

“You would probably say, extending your thoughts, that the same fears, as serving the interests of conservatives, are announced by the commanders of the armies of other countries, the ministers of national defense. And why are you leaving when I’m answering your question? I understand you don’t need an answer to the question, so I’ll end it here. I consider it a statement and I see no need to comment on the experts whom you did not name”, said the Prime Minister, reacting to the fact that A. Gedvilas stood up from his seat in the hall of plenary sessions of the Seimas.