Conservatives – arrows of criticism due to chaotic information about A. Anušauskas: the authorities dangerously encourage rumors

According to critics, the refusal to name the reasons for the minister’s departure naturally raises many questions in the public.

The Prime Minister promises to comment on the situation only on Monday. On Saturday, President Gitanas Nausėda will receive the minister – according to his advisers, the minister himself unexpectedly requested the meeting. 15min according to sources, the minister is resigning due to disagreements with the prime minister.

VIDEO: A. Anušauskas after his resignation: I thank everyone who worked together

Political scientist Tomas Janeliūnas says that the resignation of the Minister of National Defense is not just trivial news that can be ignored.

“Imagining that one can comment only during working hours is a really strange answer, when everything related to security issues is of particular concern to the public at the moment. Not giving concrete answers to the public leaves room for the strangest rumors.

This government promised maximum transparency, but somehow forgets it at critical moments”, – 15min said the professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences of Vilnius University.

Julius Kalinskas / 15min photo / Tomas Janeliūnas

Journalist Edmundas Jakilaitis was the first to mention the minister’s resignation on Friday afternoon, later it was reported about A. Anušauskas’ upcoming meeting with President Gitanas Nausėdas, and finally the Government Press Office informed that a letter of resignation had been received.

Both partners and the opposition criticize

There have been tensions between A. Anušauskas and some of his party comrades on several occasions – both the chairman of the party, Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis, and member of the Seimas Laurynas Kasčiūnas have thrown arrows of criticism at him. They have not commented on the situation until now either.

Sparks were caused by the tactics chosen for attracting the German brigade, the relationship with the army leadership, and the plans to strengthen the country’s national capabilities.

Former Prime Minister, leader of the opposition Democratic Union “Vardan Lietuvos” Saulius Skvernelis calls the situation deplorable.

According to him, the circumstances of such a minister’s departure must be told as soon as possible, without waiting for Monday.

“If something happened now, we must know what happened. Maybe it has to do with our national security,” he pondered.

“Knowing the fact that that minister had a hard time at work and there were all kinds of stories, scandals with the disclosure of secrets and the inability to make a breakthrough in the system, and such big scandals, and they kept him all the time,” S. Skvernelis added.

Lukas Balandis/BNS photo/Saulius Skvernelis

Ramūnas Karbauskis, leader of “Valstiečių”. 15min said that the minister’s departure could have been due to different rhetoric regarding the Russian threat or the conservatives’ preparations for the elections.

At the same time, he emphasized that he believes that “conservatives have not done anything in terms of Lithuania’s security”.

Paulius Peleckis/BNS photo/Ramūnas Karbauskis

Not only the opposition forces have comments on the events of Friday evening, but also the coalition partners.

“The first impression is that it is not really useful for the state. In this war situation, one of the key ministers drops out, whether voluntarily or by suggestion – we’ll see here”, – 15min said one of the liberal leaders, Eugenijus Gentvilas.

According to him, this does not add stability to the coalition, but it will continue to work, so it will be necessary to “show a lot of patience”.

Lukas Balandis/BNS photo/Eugenijus Gentvilas

Vytautas Mitalas, an elder of the “liberal” faction, was also critical.

“I think that Lithuania’s security has become a platform for clarifying relations. And the conflict of the Prime Minister, the constant non-talking of the chairman of NSGK and the minister himself, all kinds of bullying led to this result”, – 15min said V. Mitalas.

“Now we are forced to wait for some explanations and comments – both from the public and members of the ruling coalition, which is completely unjustified,” he added.

Irmantas Gelūnas photo. Vytautas Mitalas

The news about A. Anušauskas’ intention to resign was also unexpected for Vytautas Landsbergiis, the first leader of Lithuania after the restoration of independence.

“I really can’t comment or evaluate anything – this is very unexpected news for me. I have to learn more about the reasons, about the situations that led him to such a step,” said the honorary chairman of the conservatives.

Neither with I. Šimonyte, nor with the elder of the conservative faction Radvile Morkūnaite-Mikulėniene, nor with L. Kasčiūnas 15min I haven’t been able to get in touch yet – they don’t answer my calls.

Reminds the example of Ukraine

But some observers see too much drama in the criticism. Political expert Ainius Lašas from Kaunas University of Technology reminds that a somewhat similar situation existed in Ukraine, where there were rumors about the dismissal of the army commander for more than one day.

“Jesus Mary, what crisis – Anushaukas put the statement on the table and some people can’t wait to see what the Prime Minister will say about it. As if there were no institutions in Lithuania and they did not know what they were doing.

As far as I remember, in Ukraine, where the war is actually going on (it is not going on in Lithuania), rumors about the dismissal of the army commander were circulating more than one or two days before his actual dismissal. And what? And nothing. The time has come, they forgave and Ukraine did not collapse. Lithuania will not collapse during the weekend,” A. Lašas wrote on Facebook.

“A new bottom of this government has been broken”

Social activist, TV host Andrius Tapinas also critically assessed the events of Friday evening.

“A new bottom of this government has been broken,” he wrote on Facebook.

Photo by Greta Skaraitiene/BNS/Andrius Tapinas

According to him, the answers should be given to the public immediately, without waiting for Monday.

“you can all still get nervous during the weekend thinking and creating conspiracy theories and scaring each other”, said A. Tapinas.

“Because when the war is going on and half a year before the elections, changing the minister of national defense and still shocking people in this way is perfect. And again, there was no one in the entire Government and the party who would say – dear, this is not possible, we will create another crisis in the same place”, he continued.

The publicist summarized: “Glushii Guard, not the ruling party.”