Lithuanian Government Program Faces Legitimacy Challenge Amidst Societal Division Concerns

As Lithuania prepares to debate the new government's program, a conservative lawmaker has raised questions about its legitimacy, casting an early shadow over the proceedings.

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If you look, the program was registered on Friday, and the composition of the government itself was confirmed yesterday. An illegal government with unconfirmed ministers, unfortunately, did not have the right to approve its program. So whose program are we discussing here today?

Jurgis Razma, a conservative MP, challenged the validity of the program, noting it was registered on a Friday while the government's composition was only confirmed the following day. He argued that an "illegal government" with unconfirmed ministers should not have had the authority to approve its program, questioning whose agenda was actually being presented for discussion.

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas responded by stating that the program being considered is that of the "XXI Government." Meanwhile, the designated Prime Minister's program itself acknowledges a growing "radical division" within Lithuania. Minister M. Sinkevičius expressed concern over this trend, where political opponents are increasingly viewed as enemies rather than fellow citizens with differing opinions.

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We will consider the Government Program submitted by the XXI Government.

The program, an 89-page document with 14 priorities, aims to address this societal fragmentation by calling for a halt to this dangerous process. Key policy proposals include increasing child benefits, indexing pensions, analyzing the "Sodra" reserve, and mitigating the impact of price increases on citizens' incomes. It also emphasizes equal access to quality education, improving life expectancy, and modernizing transport infrastructure.

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I don't know if I will be heard through the deafening information noise, but I feel obliged to speak about this extremely relevant problem. It is growing, sharpening every day and can no longer be ignored. Politicians and the pressure groups supporting them increasingly see opponents not as fellow citizens with a different opinion, but simply as enemies.

In foreign policy, the government intends to normalize diplomatic relations with China to the level of other EU states. It also plans to maintain pressure on the Minsk regime and increase isolation if Belarus continues to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine or engages in hybrid attacks against the EU or Ukraine. A long-term goal is a democratic and free Belarus, with continued efforts to secure the release of all political prisoners.

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The new Government and the new coalition understand this and invite all political opponents to stop this dangerous process together.