Lithuania: four party negotiators to look into financial means to implement proposals

VILNIUS – Negotiators from four parliamentary parties in Lithuania, forming a new ruling coalition, will hold a meeting with ministerial representatives on Wednesday afternoon to look into financial means to implement proposals.

"We exchanged opinions, and some of the solutions need financial resources. Therefore, we have asked information for half past five when a second round of the negotiations will take place. I hope we will have information about the state's financial means," Jonas Jarutis, a negotiator representing the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, told journalists after a meeting on Wednesday morning.

In his words, representatives of the Ministries of Finance, Social Security and Labor and health have been invited to the evening meeting.

"We exchanged opinions and, I think, the final touches will be made after lunch," Jarutis said.

Representatives of four parties took to the negotiating table for the first time on Wednesday to discuss work to be done until the end of this parliament.

Representatives of the LFGU, the Social Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania and the Order and Justice party met last week. And the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance decided to join the coalition talks on Friday.

Proposals for inclusion into the government's action plan include raising child benefits, increasing funding for local authorities, increasing the progressivity of residential income tax, introducing lay judges in courts, and introducing a lower VAT rate for foodstuffs.

Following the presidential election, the LFGU started forming a new ruling coalition. If the four parties agree on a new ruling block, it will have 77 seats in the parliament.