Lietuva in brief - 2011-10-20

Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius says that the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s statements that Lithuania is playing up to neo-Nazis are strange, as in such a case the MFA should have said that the entire European Union (EU) is conniving with them, reports ELTA. “Thanks to Lithuania’s active policy, the entire EU has achieved a clearer understanding that Stalin’s crimes against humanity should be viewed as those committed by Hitler. We are talking not only about Stalin’s crimes, but of the entire Stalin-era crimes, as January 13 events were the outcome of that criminal regime,” the PM said last week. “One can only regret that the Russian MFA does not understand the positively changing policy of Europe. However, if we take into account the findings of the working group formed by Dmitry Medvedev and the conclusion they made that Russia has to de-Stalinize itself, I believe that positive changes will shortly become present,” Kubilius said. On Oct. 12 Novosti quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry, which said that Lithuanian authorities continue to connive with neo-Nazis, ignoring the lessons of history.

A poll at the end of September offered no significant changes in the ratings of Lithuanian public figures as President Dalia Grybauskaite continues to lead, while Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius keeps the lowest ratings, reports ELTA. Among those polled, 81 percent said they had the most confidence in President Grybauskaite. Former President Valdas Adamkus, who served two terms, enjoyed the confidence of 61 percent; Seimas Speaker Irena Degutiene gained support from 60 percent; Leader of the Social Democrats Algirdas Butkevicius garnered 54 percent in the opinion poll. Three other public leaders received more positive evaluations than negative from the respondents. Among them were MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, adviser to SEB bank’s president Gitanas Nauseda, and MP Julius Veselka. The poll by Baltijos Tyrimai, carried out from Sept. 20-28, showed that Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius enjoyed the least confidence, as he was viewed unfavorably by 85 percent.