First, let's discuss the newest political anecdote: rumour has it that Dalia Grybauskaitė might be elected the next President of the European Union.
In itself, an ambition to be the EU President – as a dream or a political fantasy – is lovely and innocent enough, but spreading such rumours is a political act that calculated for a tangible goal. In this case, though, the goal is not the EU President's post, but something much more simple and closer to home – the Lithuanian presidential election is at hand, too.
The society – which is not as undivided in its support for Grybauskaitė as it used to be – needs to be shown her indubitable superiority to all possible rivals. A rumour about our president's potential rise to the EU President creates an emotionally-charged notion that, if she is good enough for Brussels, she must be perfect for Lithuania – and what other candidate could possibly beat that? No one.
Even before euphoria about Grybauskaitė's potential to be the EU President abated, we heard statements by [conservative leaders] Andrius Kubilius and Vytautas Landsbergis that the President had their continued and undivided support in her re-election bid.
Several issues are at stake here. The two leading candidates, who compete for the leadership over Lithuania's conservative party, declare their agreement regarding the President – she's theirs, they're hers. At the same time, they have confirmed the notion – which has been on the decline lately within the Homeland Union – that the President is acceptable for the right-wingers. They also send a message to the society that she is irreplaceable.
The President herself is engaging in an aggressive pre-election campaign that could be summarized thus: destroy real and potential candidates.
She has just given a lesson of presidential travelling economy [famously, President Grybauskaitė booked a seat on a budget airline flight to London to attend Margaret Thatcher's funeral]. One could agree with her, if the flight merely takes a person from point A to point B. But if this person is the President, the political implications are inescapable – she is thus trying to prop up her populist appeal. Read – the President stands against a waste of money in any form and for equality among citizens, irrespective of their status.
Butkevičius should give up his illusions about smooth cooperation with Grybauskaitė. The top priority on her agenda is remaining the President of Lithuania.
[Social Democratic Prime Minister] Algirdas Butkevičius, who had made public statements about a need to have a government aircraft, was snubbed by Grybauskaitė in the roughest and most uncivil way (just like the less cultured but emotional voters are used and respond to) – as a vainglorious waster of public money.
But upon closer scrutiny, one can see that this stunt gave a private company – Wizzair – the opportunity to use the President's name for publicity. And, as reporter Zita Čepaitė aptly noted, “She was flying on the same plane, but not together with us.” So forget equality and economy. The President simply used the opportunity to snub a potential rival in her re-election bid.
It might turn out that this uncivilized offensive against the Prime Minister is only the beginning. Butkevičius should give up his illusions about smooth cooperation with Grybauskaitė. The top priority on her agenda is remaining the President of Lithuania.
If Grybauskaitė loses re-election, this will be seen as her political fiasco. So what we can expect to see is the President stepping up pressure on the Prime Minister and other potential candidates, increasingly engaging in populism, and indulging emotions of the voters.
