Commentators about anti-Polish statement of president Grybauskaitė

Parliamentary statement of president Dalia Grybauskaitė, in which she criticized decision about introduction of exam concessions for high school graduates from non-Lithuanian schools, including Polish ones, was conspicuously anti-Polish – point out Lithuanian journalists and political scientists.

It is stressed in Wednesday comments, that rhetoric of Grybauskaitė is a sign of her decision to stand for the presidential election next year.

“The president’s proclamation was conspicuously anti-Polish, sometimes even nationalistic”- judges journalist, editor-in-chief of portal 15min Rimvydas Valatka. In his opinion, “Grybauskaitė took up a direction to, at any price, stir up national emotions and this way activate her own constituency”. Additionally, Valatka emphasizes, that “it is very dangerous way for Lithuania, as a European country”.

“If the president had an ambition to run for high-ranking position in the European Union, she would have strive for reaching an agreement with Poland, for fear of that Poland could thwart her candidacy” – these are words of political scientist Raimundas Lopata, which he said in an interview for The Radio From Wilia (Radio Znad Wilii). He pointed out that anti-Polish tones during the statement were directed “to interior political market”, what confirms the decision of Grybauskaitė to run for the highest post in the country in presidential election, which takes place next year.

Lopata stresses, among other things, that the statement of the president will have negative response in Polish – Lithuanian relations, he said, he does not understand, why “citizens of Lithuania talking Polish are treated like an alien body.

Meanwhile, journalist Vladimiras Laučius, in the portal Delfi, notices, that the president, exhorting to fight for the Lithuanian character, rates Poland among Lithuania’s enemies. The journalist reminds of the fact that Grybauskaitė criticized not only the decision of the introduction of Lithuanian language exam concessions for non-Lithuanian high school graduates, but also took note of that there are Lithuanian schools being closed in Polish region of Sejny. However, Laučius notices, that “president does not say what to do with schools, which simply lack in students” and emphasizes, that “Lithuania has already paid considerable political price for ruining relations with Poland”.

Political scientist Raimundas Lopata takes note also of the fact, that, in her statement, president Grybauskaitė said many favourable words about cooperation between Baltic and Scandinavian countries.

“The president tries to change Lithuanian awareness of foreign policy, she tries to direct Lithuania to Europe by «Baltic-Scandinavia»” – says Lopata. However, this kind of orientation brings on concerns of Lopata, who reminds, that “life arranges everything in the right place”.

In Tuesday statement Grybauskaitė said, that “Lithuanian language is already becoming a captive of political agreements of the governing coalition”. In her opinion, “controversial Lithuanian language exam is already transforming into other demands dividing the society”. At the same time, the president took note of the fact that “beyond the borders of Lithuania, there are Lithuanian schools being closed”. The same way president reminded of an intention to close three Lithuanian village schools by the government of Puńsk.

This year Lithuanian language Matura exam was standardized for high school graduates from all schools, although in non-Lithuanian schools Lithuanian language had been taught in limited extent. That is why, due to the proposal of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, there were introduced some concessions in the Lithuanian language Matura exam. This, in turn, aroused dissatisfaction in some Lithuanian communities. The case of the exam went even to court. The decision will be pronounced in June.  Problems of Poles in Lithuania, who are the biggest national minority in this country (6,6%), concern, first of all, Polish education, land return, and using national minority’s language in public places.

Source: http://zw.lt/litwa/komentatorzy-o-antypolskim-wystapieniu-prezydent-grybauskaite/

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