Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite announced the annual report in the parliament. She focused on the forthcoming elections in the October and urged political parties to continue the works of the current government. Mainly, to save budged money and to seek energy independence through liquefied gas terminal and nuclear power plant.
Constitution obliges the president to read the annual report in the parliament every year.
This year Dalia Grybauskaite appreciated the current government, because it managed to control the financial situation and avoided collapse of the country's finances despite fear of losing popularity. But the government was criticised for reduced business opportunities, high youth unemployment and poverty of people.
The president urged all political parties to continue saving after elections and to proceed energy independence projects such as liquefied gas terminal or nuclear power plant. However, the main oppositional parties that currently lead in the opinion polls are quite sceptical about nuclear power plant.
Video material that was submitted to European Broadcasting Union:
Shotlist:
1. Dalia Grybauskaite arriving at the parliament
2. Soundbite (Lithuanian), Lithuanian president, Dalia Grybauskaite, saying: There is a concept in a world - thermal poverty. If heating costs exceed 10 per cent of human income, then it is considered that the limit of thermal poverty is crossed. Our people for heating in the winter spend much more. Changes in this area are inevitable. The bills for heating will move into the ballots. Due to the delayed reforms and mistakes the number of vulnerable people is increasing. Social policy requires consensus. But suggestions only appeared at the end of government tenure.
3. Soundbite (Lithuanian), Lithuanian prime minister, Andrius Kubilius, saying: We are not the government which could not recognise its mistakes or works that it hasn't done. But I would like to emphasise that reforms, as president noted in the report, requires consensus and joined efforts. Many of our initiatives did not receive effective support in the parliament.
4. Various shots of the parliament when president is reading annual report
5. Soundbite (Lithuanian), Lithuanian president, Dalia Grybauskaite, saying: After elections I will wait a new prime minister that will not only present names of the ministers, but will have an ongoing list of agreed works. So I urge one more time. Let's agree on fundamental principles that will not be sacrificed for political battles. Let's not refuse and stop essential works only because they have been started under different political flag.
6. More of the parliament
7. Soundbite (Lithuanian), leader of the oppositional social-democratic party, Algirdas Butkevicius, saying: We support the liquefied natural gas terminal. It will for sure create a competitive market and will decrease price of the gas and together the price of heating. (A journalist asking about nuclear power plant). We do not speak about that yet. We analyse the plan. This plan is also submitted to foreign experts. Then we will see all the answers. When all doubts will be scattered we will speak about it. For now, we say no to the project that was presented to us.
8. Algirdas Butkevicius is listening to the report
