Eurosceptics and nationals create a common bloc

Three marginal groups representing the extreme right, extreme left and centre join forces before the coming elections.

Precisely, Centrist Party of Eugenijus Skrupskelis, the Union of Social Democrats of Arvydas Akstinavičius and the Union of Nationalists of the MP, Gintaras Songaila announced on Monday that they had established a coalition of their parties, which united under the nationalist slogan “For Lithuania in Lithuania”. The party leaders, who are joining together in a pre-elections’ bloc, hope to gain votes from national and nationalist electorate. However, all – Skrupskelis, Akstinavičius and Songaila, deny that the political bloc was created for this year’s election campaign. Nevertheless, the leaders of the parties confirmed that they will create a common list for elections to the Lower House of Parliament, for which they will also invite representatives of other parties and organisations, which associate themselves with the slogan “For Lithuania in Lithuania”.

As explained by MP Songaila, the slogan reflects the current political situation, where the ruling elites, regardless if they come from the right or left, have betrayed the national interest and they solely care for their own temporary business. The participants of the Monday press conference criticised submissiveness of the current ruling elites towards European Union projects, including the proposed fiscal policy.

— Formation of budget is one of the basic constitutional duties, and that is why the budget cannot be formed according to the orders of the European Union – said MP Songaila.  He also criticized the emergence of the Union of Federalists in Lithuania, which was joined by few members of the Lower House of Parliament and Lithuanian MEPs. Songaila announced that after resumption after a break in parliamentary sessions, the new group will strive for impeachment of the federalist MPs, who in the opinion of Songaila violate the constitutional oath, because the federalist group advocates the reduction of sovereign states’ functions in favour of the Union institutions’.

The new group – union „For Lithuanian in Lithuania” announced a fight with the impact of the European Union and the influence of national minorities, mainly Polish. MP Gintaras Songaila reminded during the Mondays conference about his merits at a battle field. He told how once he got kicked out of the conservative party, the Union of Motherland – Christian Democrats of Lithuania precisely for his active involvement in a protest against conservatives’ plans calling for an conclusion of a ruling coalition with the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania in the capital Council of Vilnius. Traditionally, Songaila could not also omit the topic of the Polish Charter, where he hopes for its verification by the Constitutional Court.

As it can be understood from the announcements of the leaders of the extreme right, left and centre, precisely a clear euroscepticism and national values will be a bond linking these groups of radically different ideologies.

The leaders of nationalist bloc claim that they run wide consultations on the matter of a future cooperation with “many other political non-governmental organisations”. They refused, however, to name few of the main ones, because, as explained by MP Songaila, they themselves have still not agreed for disclosure of their names.

http://kurierwilenski.lt/2012/02/06/eurosceptycy-i-narodowcy-tworza-wspolny-blok/

Tłumaczenie Małgorzata Juchniewicz w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Małgorzata Juchniewicz within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.