Linas Jegelevičius
The Christmas bells are jingling, bringing the very end of 2023, a year of sadness for many in Lithuania. BNN spoke to Lithuanians from different walks of life, asking them what etched most in in their memories this year. Who are the winners and the losers of 2023 in Lithuania?
Petras Auštrevičius, Lithuania’s euro parliamentarian, told BNN that several things were very memorable to him in 2023.
“Sadly, first, the continuation of the devastating and horrible war in Ukraine. Looking forward, its prospects remain gloomy, with no end seen in the near future. Particularly, I was aghast at the blow-up of the Kachovka dam in Ukraine. I deem it an insane environmental crime,” P. Auštrevičius accentuated.
“The second event that has glued my focus is the unspeakable attack of Hamas against Israel on the 7th of October. I see it as a new height of dehumanizing. The response was severe, but Israel is entitled to defend itself whatever it takes,” euro parliamentarian said,
admitting that he does not expect both sides at a negotiation table any time soon.
“First, the hostages need to be released,” the politician underscored.
“To me, the third event on the ranking of importance was the World Climate Summit in Dubai, aiming at reducing emissions to keep global warming in check,” the well-known Lithuanian politician said.
Asked to name winners and losers on the Lithuanian and international political stage, P. Auštrevičius struggled a little bit: “I am not sure whether it would be proper to voice them.”
“To me, the biggest losers in Lithuania are the presidential staffers whose public rhetoric – so disrespectful and combustible – seems inappropriate to me. Our political culture reached a new low in 2023 – definitely!” P. Auštrevičius said.
Reminded of the scathing court ruling which holds his Liberal Movement accountable in a high-profile political corruption scandal, P. Auštrevičius, who is member of the party, said: “Indeed, in that sense,
our party is the loser. It was a very big blow to our party.”
BNN reminds that Eligijus Masiulis, a former MP and former leader of the Liberal Movement, was guilty of corruption and influence peddling offences and sentenced to prison. Masiulis will have to spend five years and six months behind bars.
Adolfas Sendrauskas, an octogenarian member of Lithuania’s Šiaulių sąjunga (The Riflemen’s Union) told BNN that
2023 brought him “a lot of sadness”.
“War in Ukraine continued throughout 2023 and did not show any slowdown. Then we had his atrocious Hamas attack on Israel in October and the Jews’ response was horrendous, with the death toll reaching nearly 20 thousand now. I think the world is moving to insanity and more of it we will be seeing in 2024,” A. Sendrauskas accentuated.
Although Palanga, his hometown, was welcoming as always in 2023, he felt the tangibly changed composition of tourists.
“Understandably, there were no Russians or Belarusians, and strained relationships, with Belarus particularly, especially worried me,” the man admitted.
Speaking of the resort, he praised the local authority for instilling more cultural life in the townhall, Kurhauzas, which was recently restored after a horrible blaze left it smouldering over 12 years ago.
The local activist says he is worried about declining patriotism of the youth.
“Nowadays, young people live in their mobile apps and are little interested in the public life. I am really afraid that, with a threat to Lithuania, our hard-fought freedom may not be defended properly,” A. Sendrauskas confessed his worry.
For Vytautas Dumbliauskas, a Lithuanian political analyst, the unrelenting bloodshed in Ukraine stuck in memory in 2023 most.
“It seems the war is in a stalemate now. So in that sense, neither the West nor Putin are the winners or the losers,” the analyst told BNN, adding: “I fear that the West and the United States did not yet fully understand the threat being posed by Russia.”
Domestically, he believes that Gitanas Nausėda could consider himself as the year’s winner.
“Amid the unceasing squabbles with the ruling Homeland Union-LCD party, he retained his high ratings and he is in the best position to win his second presidential term in 2024,” V. Dumbliauskas predicted.
As for the losers, he agrees that the Liberal Movement has had a bad year, however, he downplays possible damage of the harsh court ruling to the party.
“The scandal took place nearly ten years ago, and the new generation supporting the Liberal Movement has grown up. The party’s voters are stable and will not be spooked by the ruling,” the analyst emphasised.
That Lithuania struggled at the end of 2023 to appoint a new ambassador to Poland, where a new government was sworn in, V. Dumbliauskas sees as the state’s loss.
“Indeed, too many squabbles on the highest level do no good to the state,” he inferred.
Reminded that the Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, in late December, revoked the mandate of MP Petras Gražulis for breaking his oath of office, thus preventing him from running for parliament or the presidency for ten years, V. Dumbliauskas said: “It does not seem big to me. Gražulis has been a political buffoon for many years, so with him out of the Seimas, I guess few will miss him.”
Gražulis was caught casting a vote for another MP. The Constitutional Court ruled recently that this constituted a gross violation of the constitution.
In all, 86 MPs voted in favour of stripping Gražulis of his mandate, eight voted against and four abstained. The motion required at least 85 out of 141 MPs to vote in favour in a secret ballot.
But for Gintaras Tomkus, publisher of Vakarų Ekspresas newspaper in Klaipėda, Lithuania’s third-largest city, the year’s loser “clear loser” is namely Gražulis.
“Talking of the winners, MP Remigijus Žemaitaitis, who garnered over 20% in the mayoral election in Klaipėda and who is often savagely and biasedly attacked for his candid but true remarks is the winner, as he is becoming a desired pick for many in the coming parliamentary election in October of 2024,” G. Tomkus said.
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