Tomaszewski: Linkevičius is trying to break the ice

Waldemar Tomaszewski, the leader of Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and a Member of European Parliament, thinks that yesterday’s meeting between Polish and Lithuanian foreign ministers was successful for both Radoslaw Sikorski and Linas Linkevičius.

In yesterday’s interview for Polish Press Agency the leader of EAPL said that “It’s the minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s success and a victory of his policy.” Today, in an interview with DELFI PL, he emphasized that it was also a victory of Lithuanian minister. “In a sense, it’s also a Linkevičius’ success, he has courage and wants to break the ice,” said Tomaszewski.

The MEP said that if the demands of Polish minority are not carried out, EAPL may as well leave the governing coalition. “Poles want to retain what they have had for 20 years of national independence,” told Tomaszewski to PPA.

Rescission of the Educational Act

Leader of EAPL said that their party would demand the rescission of the amendment to the Educational Act which provides the unification of the school-leaving examination in a state language. Algidas Butkevičius, the Lithuanian Prime Minister, said yesterday in Šalčininkai that the amendment would not be rescinded. Instead, some concessions concerning criteria for assessing the examination papers for students who learn in minority schools would be introduced.

“We still demand the rescission of the Educational Act because there are no arguments for changing the system which has been functioning for last 20 years. I understand that it will be impossible to change the Act this year, but while pupils have to take the school-leaving examinations we’re soliciting for concessions now. We want to lower the number of characters in a writing part and to increase the number of authors to choose from,” said Waldemar Tomaszewski.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/tomaszewski-linkevicius-probuje-przelamac-lody.d?id=60623279

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