Presidential candidates met at the debate: they heard questions about same-sex families and the war in Ukraine

Watch the debates led by LRT journalist Guoda Pečiulitė and 15 minutes current affairs journalist Roberta Salynė, the audience gathered in large numbers in the non-traditional space – politicians were also seen in the audience.

The candidates got up on the podium to songs that they had to choose themselves. The candidate of the Democratic Union “Vardan Lietuvos” Giedrim Jeglinskas was accompanied by Bruce Springsteen’s song “Born to run”, the candidate of the Labor Party Andrii Mazuronis – the chords of AC/DC’s rock song “TNT”, the current president, who is seeking a second term, Gitana Nausėdas – “Emerson”. , “Touch and go” by Lake&Powell.

Ingrida Šimonytė, the candidate nominated by the Homeland Unions – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, entered the stage to the sound of “Anties” song “Lithuanian State”. Self-nominated candidate Eduardas Vaitkus took the stage to the sound of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony”, another self-nominated candidate, lawyer Ignas Vėgėlė – Eurika Masytė’s “Laisvei”

. The candidate of the Freedom Party, Dainius Žalimas, came on stage to the sound of The Animals’ song “House Of The Rising Sun”, and self-nominated Remigijus Žemaitaitis to the song “My Land” by Gytis Paškevičius.

From unloved household chores to unfulfilled promises

At the beginning, after receiving personal questions, such as the last book read or the least favorite household chores, later the candidates spoke about more serious topics.

I.Šimonytė was asked whether the voters can be sure that she will not think of resigning in the event of a crisis situation, as there were many such threats during her tenure as prime minister.

“After all, I’m working, aren’t I?”, answered I. Šimonytė, adding that she would not like to comment on rumours.

The presenters of the debate asked I. Vēgėlė whether there is a conflict of interest due to the fact that he criticized the opening of the Taiwanese representative office in Lithuania, while at the same time his own company sells Chinese goods. To this the candidate replied that most of the electronics we use are Chinese.

Meanwhile, G. Nausėda received a question about not all fulfilled promises for the welfare state, and R. Žemaitaitis – about anti-Semitic statements.

During the debate, the candidates spoke unanimously on only one question – whether they would leave Lithuania when the “X day” came and they received a recommendation to go abroad. All the candidates raised the table with the answer “No”.

He also withdrew the Constitution

Meanwhile, perhaps the most divided opinions came from the question: “Do you consider two persons of the same sex, who are a couple, living together, having a joint farm, a family?”

G. Jeglinskas, who held up the “No” sign and was asked to comment, rather neatly explained that even if all persons living together, be it father and son or grandmother and grandson, consider themselves a family, the Constitution does not allow this, so this issue must be resolved Seimas.

Meanwhile, D. Žalimas, who voted “Yes”, said that according to the Constitution, all families must be protected – including same-sex families. According to him, the Constitutional Court (KT) clearly stated in 2011 that a family can be created not only on the basis of marriage and that the state must grant recognition to those who do not live in marriage. Meanwhile, in 2019, the Supreme Court clarified that persons not living in marriage can also be persons of the same sex.

R. Žemaitaitis, who withdrew the Constitution, disagreed with this and cited that “marriage is concluded by free agreement between a man and a woman”.

“Another thing, does the family have to have the institution of marriage?” No, you don’t have. Let the Freedom Party answer why they maliciously removed the partnership institute from the Civil Code. Let them answer and you will know why the Freedom Party pierced all these families,” R. Žemaitaitis complained.

I.Šimonytė received a standing ovation from the audience, who declared that every sane person understands what a family is and that a person feels it best – no regulations can write that some family is correct and some is not.

True, she immediately received a reply from President G. Nausėda: “I am advocating that relationships between people of the same sex must be legally regulated. But there are at least two representatives of the ruling coalition next to me – where is your leadership, that during four years of talking about how you solve the issue of these couples and making young people happy, you did not implement those decisions, even though you have the majority?”.

I.Šimonytė, who answered that some politicians in the Seimas are not implementing their program, including the Social Democrats supporting President G.Nausėdas, received a reply about her comrades as well.

“Ms. Šimonyte, wouldn’t you say that there are a dozen such people in your faction?”, asked G. Nausėda.

Meanwhile, only R. Žemaitaitis, I. Vėgėlė and E. Vaitkus answered “NO” to the question “Would you approve of sending Lithuanian soldiers to Ukraine for training missions?”.