Raimundas Lopata: Social Democrat Prime Ministers

The Lithuanian Social Democrats have opened the doors to governing power through what the author describes as Vilija Blinkevičiūtė's "lie" about leading the government and promises not to form coalitions with "antisemites." The party, however, seems not to have forgotten this, granting Blinkevičiūtė the status of honorary chair. This suggests that for the Social Democrats, deceiving voters is not a problem but rather an accomplishment, fueling political manipulation in Lithuania.

Gintautas Paluckas consistently argued that state stability required the support of "antisemites," portraying Lithuanian democracy as too weak to survive without a political force that compromises the nation internationally. These discussions about stability increasingly resemble a quest to retain power at any cost, rather than a genuine concern for the state or democratic values. The article posits that for politicians whose identity is tied to principles and ideology, their choice of friends and coalitions reveals their political ambitions: whether power is sought solely for personal gain or to advance national interests.

Paluckas apparently chose the former, becoming entangled in conflicts of interest and facing a criminal case. The article suggests that a party's standards are often better reflected by the people it chooses than by its platform. Following Paluckas, Inga Ruginienė, as prime minister, displayed a surprising lack of understanding of liberal democracy, including the relationship between majority and minority, the distinction between political leadership and administration, and the prime minister's responsibility to parliament. Her improvisations on foreign policy issues were likened to treating state interests as a casual talk show topic. When practice replaced theory, she faced a conclusion from the Public Procurement Commission regarding serious violations of the Law on Balancing Public and Private Interests.

The narrative within the Social Democrats' history appears to be repeating: the problem is not the action taken, but the law that failed to justify it. There's an impression that their political culture operates under an old "beaver" logic – they don't break laws, they "creatively expand" their application. Mindaugas Sinkevičius, discussed as a potential prime minister, is already acting as an alternative center of executive power, coordinating ministries and attempting to shape national security and foreign policy directions, despite his current roles as mayor of Jonava and party chairman not granting such authority. This creates a peculiar situation where an individual not holding the prime ministerial office is attempting to exercise its powers. Sinkevičius seems unfazed, admiring texts that belittle civic activism, disparage youth, portray media as a tool for manipulation, and view democracy merely as an electoral procedure. His political career is also shadowed by histories of conflicts of interest, examined by courts and the commission.