President G. Nausėda will take part in the elections: he announced what he would be like in the second term

He mentioned the good things that happened during his tenure

According to the head of state, there were many challenges during his first term, but Lithuania has become stronger, safer, the state cares more for its people, and has come closer to the welfare model he declared.

VIDEO: The moment when Nausėda announced that he was running for president: “I am determined to continue the work I started”

The first tectonic break, according to him, is increased Lithuanian security and defense investments. He was pleased that in four years defense funding had increased significantly and faster than planned. However, he will seek further increases in defense funding. G. Nausėda was happy with the increased presence of NATO forces. The head of the country singled out an agreement to deploy a German brigade in Lithuania, allocate more than 2 percent of general domestic products for national defense and others.

“All this allows me to say that Lithuania is safer than ever in terms of external threats,” said G.Nausėda.

The second tectonic break, according to him, is that it was possible to achieve that during the crisis, instead of draconian belts and expensive borrowing, other decisions were made that mitigated the consequences of the crisis for people and prevented an economic recession.

He promised to actively participate in public life, to be active not only in foreign policy and defense, but also in domestic policy.

He called the third tectonic break a sharp increase in the state’s attention to the disabled. They were happy that sign interpreters became common, that chains were broken in S. Daukanta Square, so that people with wheelchairs could move freely.

Another tectonic break is the reduction of divisions in society. Especially in the senior group. Especially – by significantly increasing pensions. As a result, it was possible to reach an agreement with the governments of Saulius Skvernelis and Ingrida Šimonytė.

G. Nausėda also emphasized the importance of rapidly increasing the amount of tax-free income.

G. Nausėda named the changed attitude towards municipalities as the fifth tectonic break. She praised municipalities for fighting the consequences of the pandemic, migration flows, and support for Ukraine.

“We must abandon the suspicious attitude towards municipalities, not make it absolute that financial abuse also occurs there, as in other branches of government,” he said.

Skirmantas Lisauskas/BNS photo/Gitanas Nausėda

He believes that these tectonic faults will affect Lithuania in the coming decades, but not everything has been done, more can be done.

Determined to continue the work

G. Nausėda regretted that during the first term of office, it was not always possible to agree with other branches of government. He hoped that it would be possible to follow one path and implement those decisions unanimously that were foreseen.

For G. Nausėda, it is important that the state maintains the economic momentum it has gained.

It also seems possible to further reduce the gap between the highest and lowest earners. He promised to consistently strive to strengthen the financial well-being of families, if not with this, then with another ruling majority.

He also promised to further strengthen the self-government and its powers. He promised to continue to be interested in self-government issues not only from Vilnius, but also locally.

G. Nausėda, who emphasized that in 2024 will be an election year, criticized the ruling majority for its failure to implement tax reform so far.

What I mean is that whoever I am, I cannot be accused of changing my opinions or changing my attitudes.

He promised to actively participate in public life, to be active not only in foreign policy and defense, but also in domestic policy.

G. Nausėda noticed that he belongs to both the left political wing and the right political camp. However, he said that he does not change his attitudes: as it was in 2019, it is the same now.

“What I mean to say is that whoever I am, I cannot be accused of changing my opinions or changing my attitudes,” the president asserted.

He announced that he was in the mood and determined to continue the work he had started and participate in the Presidential elections. G. Nausėda said he hopes that society will give him a mandate.

VIDEO: Vilnius residents appreciated Nausėda’s decision to run again: some are happy, others don’t even notice the president

“I am determined and determined to continue the work I have started. I will participate in the presidential elections of the Republic of Lithuania in May 2024, and I hope that the people of Lithuania will give me a strong mandate of trust, as they did in 2019,” said the country’s leader.

The election team is not yet clear

G. Nausėda said that he would not estimate his chances, but said that he would do everything to make his campaign restrained, assured that he would concentrate on the main tasks.

“I think it’s necessary to respect all the candidates, each of them comes with their own vision, their own vision, their own ideas and I think it’s good that we will really have a big choice, and my goal is to diversify that choice,” he asserted.

When asked what the slogan of this election and his election team will be, G. Nausėda could not yet name the team members, but said that it will be compact and will not use the resources of the presidency.

15min G. Nausėdai reminded that in 2019 he said that the then Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis should resign while participating in the Presidential election campaign. When asked if he still maintains this position and what he thinks about combining his work and candidacy, G. Nausėda replied that he now also believes that the Prime Minister should step down from his duties during the election campaign, but according to him, the current Prime Minister Ingrida should decide how to act Šimonytė. G. Nausėda himself said that he has no possibility to withdraw from work, because the Constitution does not allow him to do so.

I. Šimonytė has already announced that she will go on vacation a month before the presidential elections.

Feeling calm about the financing of the 2019 election campaign

G. Nausėda said that he feels completely calm about his 2019. Presidential election campaigns that have been questioned. The temporary commission of the Seimas intends to investigate the financing of presidential election campaigns.

G. Nausėda emphasized that during the election campaign he tried to save and managed to reach the maximum with minimum costs. He said he would answer the commission’s questions if they arose.

The President criticized next year’s state budget adopted by the Seimas, especially for the insufficient funding of teachers. He said that he would first familiarize himself with the budget in detail and only then decide whether to sign it or veto it.

When asked if he regrets any decisions from his first term, G. Nausėda said that he sometimes underestimated the reaction of the public. He mentioned his 2019 visit to Japan, after which he and his wife, Diana, visited their daughter in South Korea, although he paid for everything himself. G. Nausėda said then that he understood that he had to act not only as a citizen, but also as a president.

“I underestimated some of my decisions in terms of public reaction. “Remembering my visit to Japan, I acted as a citizen understandably, especially since I paid all my expenses, but without a doubt, I had to appreciate that I am the head of state of Lithuania and I can no longer act like a citizen,” he said.

Considered the favorite of the election

G. Nausėda was elected president in 2019, defeating current Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė in the second round.

The 59-year-old president is currently named in polls as one of the most prominent candidates to take the post of the country’s leader for another term.

Conservative I. Šimonytė and lawyer Ignas Vēgėlė are named as his main rivals. The latter announced their plans to participate in the elections a little earlier.

Political observers and politicians had no doubts that G. Nausėda would seek a second term. Prime Minister I. Šimonytė said on Thursday that the campaign for the head of state has already started. G. Nausėda previously criticized the candidates who have already announced themselves, saying that he gets the impression that they “do not really understand where they are going”.

So far, nine candidates have already announced their participation in the elections.

The Union of Lithuanian Peasants and Greens is nominating the former Minister of Health Protection, Member of the Seimas, Aurelijas Verygas, in the upcoming elections. The Democratic Union “Vardan Lietuvos” is putting forward the candidacy of the former Deputy Minister of National Defense and Deputy Secretary General of NATO Giedrims Jeglinskas, the Freedom Party – the former Chairman of the Constitutional Court Dainius Žalims, “Freedom and Justice” – the candidacy of its temporary chairman Artūrs Paulauskas.

Former army commander Valdas Tutkus, Kazlų Rūda mayor Mantas Varaška, who is supported by the Lithuanian Party of Regions, and Antanas Kandrotas, nicknamed Cellophane, who is on trial in the case of the riots near the Seimas, announced that they will participate in the elections.