Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says he wants to introduce a different style of doing politics, responding to criticism that he has not been assertive enough during his first year in office.
Banging fists on the table is not his way, the president told reporters on Thursday. “I find unacceptable the imposed aggressive style of fooling people and attempting to solve issues by banging one's fist on the table,” he said.
Read more: One year in office: Lithuanians want more leadership from new president
“I will be honest and say what my main goal of going into politics was. I wanted a different political style, I wanted a different political culture in Lithuania, where problems can be resolved together and with respect to each other,” Nausėda said.
Nausėda was elected president in May last year. He was previously an economist at SEB bank and had not been involved in politics prior to his campaign.
Political observers have criticised the president for keeping a low profile during the coronavirus pandemic and for failing to stand up to the ruling parties. His calls for Transport Minister Jaroslav Narkevič to resign have been largely ignored by the government.
Read more: Lithuania's transport minister stays in post despite president's criticism
According to Nausėda, however, the observers simply don't understand his style.
“I see that some people and observers seem to find it hard to get used to that style and they would like to present it as the president's weakness,” he said.
“But if I succeed during my term to make the majority of people understand what my team and I are doing, then I will have achieved my key goal,” the Lithuanian president said.
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