“I have to apologize.
The past few weeks have not been easy and have given me a lot to think about. When you are close to the events and live in them, sometimes you don’t see the whole picture. Some things allowed me today, after the whole epic of appointing the ministers of national defense, to look at my actions and where I was wrong by not talking about it earlier”, writes M. Maldeikis on his Facebook account.
According to him, “the new Minister of National Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas is no Nazi, but his appointment is a step closer to the state that would be disastrous for our country”.
“Timothy Snyder has repeatedly warned to strictly defend democratic principles and not allow even a whiff of fascism into government institutions. That’s why I should have spoken earlier.
It would seem normal to me if politicians who either defend anti-democratic ideas or promote them between the lines would not find work in high positions in normal democracies. I believe that Lithuania can and should be like that. If the ministers were appointed in the Seimas, I would not have been able to support Kasčiūnas’ candidacy.
I remind you that polls show that many people do not want to live in a neighborhood with disabled people. It’s cruel, but we write disabled people off for life, it’s hard for them to find work. And here it is… when a person was “only” a very active, open, high-ranking neo-Nazi in his youth, he can later even become a minister of a democratic country.
Wouldn’t it be better to live in Lithuania if it were the other way around?” – writes M. Maldeikis.
Last week, more than 20 non-governmental organizations working in the field of human rights appealed to President Gitanas Nausėdas, asking him not to appoint the head of the Seimas National Security and Defense Committee (NSGK) L. Kasčiūnas as a minister.
Non-government members criticize L. Kasčiūnas for his strict migration policy and his stance on issues related to human rights. They also recall the invitation sent in 2018 to German far-right politicians to come to Lithuania. L. Kasčiūnas interpreted it as a mistake.
L. Kasčiūnas is also reminded that he was a member of the National Democratic Party in his youth. in 2003 together with the leader of the National Democratic Party, Mindaugus Murza L. Kasčiūnas, participated in a rally against Lithuania’s accession to the European Union.
L. Kasčiūnas said that these were the mistakes of his youth, which he now regrets.
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2024-03-30 19:35:37