Presidential candidates disagree on the concept of family: accusations of broken promises have poured in

Saturday’s presidential debate, organized by the independent political monitoring network I Know What I’m Picking, asked the candidates whether two same-sex couples who live together and share a household are a family. Six candidates – Giedrimas Jeglinskas, representative of the “Vardan Lietuvos” Democratic Union, Andrius Mazuronis, chairman of the Labor Party, Gitanas Nausėda, who is seeking re-election, and independent candidates Eduardas Vaitkus, Ignas Vėgėlė and Remigijus Žemaitaitis – answered the question in the negative. At that time, the conservative candidate Ingrida Šimonytė and Dainius Žalimas, nominated by the Freedom Party, answered that a same-sex couple is a family.

Explaining his answer, G. Jeglinskas noticed that currently the Constitution stipulates that marriage is concluded only between a man and a woman. According to the candidate, the main law of the country does not provide for a different concept of family, he emphasized.

“What the Constitution says – we know everything. I think that all people who live (together – ELTA) – no matter if it’s a mother with her son, a father with her children, or a grandmother with someone – if you consider yourself a family, consider it a family. But the Constitution currently does not allow this”, said G. Jeglinskas.

However, he was opposed by the former chairman of the Constitutional Court (CT) Dainius Žalimas.

“Very clearly according to the Constitution, Article 38 – all families, including same-sex couples, must be protected and protected,” he noted, emphasizing that only the Constitutional Court has the right to interpret the concepts of the articles of the Constitution.

“Let’s not spit on our state institutions,” he urged.

On his part, R. Žemaitaitis, who broke his oath as a member of the Seimas due to anti-Semitic statements, quoted the Constitution to the debate participants and urged him to read it to his opponent D. Žalim.

“Marriage is two genders, not your social gender (gender – ELTA)”, said R. Žemaitaitis.

“Mr. Žemaitaitis apparently studied constitutional law poorly (…). The Constitution must be read as a whole. What was said about marriage – a long time ago, back in 2011, the Constitutional Court very clearly said that a family can be created not only on the basis of marriage and the state must grant recognition to those who are not living in marriage as well”, D. Žalimas retorted to R. Žemaitaičius.

At that time, Prime Minister I. Šimonytė pointed out that the Constitution actually provides for marriage only between a man and a woman. However, according to the politician, each citizen perceives the family individually.

“It seems to me that one is about shoes, the other is about wheels.” What is marriage is defined in the Constitution. Yes, it is the union of a man and a woman. What is a family – is not only explained by the Constitutional Court, but also in general it is understandable to any sane person that what a person’s family is, the person himself feels it best. And by no regulation, no one can write that some family is correct, but this one is not a family”, said I. Šimonytė in the debate.

G. Nausėda, who is seeking a second term, assured that same-sex couples should be legally regulated. However, he addressed the candidates put forward by conservatives and “liberals”, raising the question of why their parties, which form the ruling majority in the Seimas, still have not resolved the issue of partnership.

“Where is your leadership that in four years, talking and cheering young people about the fact that you are solving the issue of these couples and getting applause – I congratulate you for that – but why did you not implement those decisions, even though you have a ruling coalition?” he asked. G. Nausėda.

The Prime Minister was quick to react and pointed out that some of the political forces in the parliament – including the social democrats supporting G. Nausėdas – do not keep the promises made to the voters.

“This is because some politicians in the Seimas do not implement their program – including the social democratic party supporting the president,” the prime minister retorted.