Ruginienė says cross-party agreement on family policy is realistic

Lithuania’s Social Security and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė believes political parties can agree on a long-term national family policy, much as they did on defence and security.

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I think it is quite realistic. The prime minister himself proposed it first, and I have even seen a positive response from opposition parties to the idea.

“I think it is quite realistic,” Ruginienė told LRT television on Wednesday. She said Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius had proposed the idea first and that she had seen a positive response from opposition parties.

Ruginienė argued that a cross-party agreement would allow governments to continue one another’s work regardless of which party wins future elections. “What we start, we hope others will continue, and it does not matter which party wins the elections,” she said.

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What we start, we hope others will continue, and it does not matter which party wins the elections.

She said the same logic applied to demographic policy and efforts to encourage families to have children. A planned Family Package could include more flexible childcare leave, larger benefits, improved access to housing and assistance with children’s activities. Its final contents have not yet been approved, but the government will need to assess the funds required when preparing next year’s state budget.

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Just as we talk about defence and security, and agreed on a common position and common directions, we also need to agree on family policy and demographics and look in one direction.