Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), has called on the country’s President Gitanas Nausėda to set up “cordon sanitaire” to prevent radicals from coming to power after the upcoming Seimas election.
According to Landsbergis, European history shows that pandering to radical political forces leads to tragic events. He cited Hitler's rise to power and the Second World War and the Holocaust that he brought about as examples.
“I understand that the example is radical, but it is an extremely strong symbol,” Landsbergis told the Žiniu Radijas radio on Wednesday. “Now, isn’t our president taking the same position, shouldn’t he show leadership by saying: look, a cordon sanitaire must be formed to keep radical forces out of the government?”
Landsbergis’ comment came in response to the president’s recent statements that a coalition with the conservative TS-LKD would be a red line for the Social Democrats, who are leading in public opinion polls ahead of the parliamentary elections.
The TS-LKD have been urging the Social Democrats for some time now to talk about a possible post-election coalition to block radicals from power, having in mind Remigijus Žemaitaitis and his Dawn of the Nemunas (Nemuno Aušra) party.
Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, has hinted that she would not rule out forming a ruling coalition with the Dawn of the Nemunas.
For his part, the president said last week that Žemaitaitis’ anti-Semitic statements would have to be taken into account when forming a ruling coalition because Germany, one of Lithuania’s key partners, is sensitive about this issue.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) has also called on Lithuania’s mainstream political parties not to cooperate with Žemaitaitis and his party.
“In Lithuania, a new, explicitly anti-Semitic political party led by former MP Remigijus Žemaitaitis, is polling in third place in the October parliamentary elections,” the AJC posted on X on Wednesday.
“Even more troubling, the Social Democratic Party says it is open to a coalition government with Žemaitaitis,” it added. “If they are faithful to fundamental democratic and European values, all mainstream parties must forswear forming a government with this extremist party.”
Earlier this year, Lithuania’s Constitutional Court ruled that Žemaitaitis broke his oath as an MP and violated the constitution by making anti-Semitic statements. He avoided impeachment by resigning from the Seimas in April.
In his Facebook posts in June 2023, Žemaitaitis expressed anger over Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė’s visit to Israel and accused Jews of deporting and killing Lithuanians. Commenting on the news of Israel’s demolition of a Palestinian school, he likened Israel to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is waging war in Ukraine, and quoted an anti-Semitic folk counting-out rhyme.
The court stated that by using descriptions, quotes, and statements that incite intolerance between ethnic minorities and deny the Holocaust, the politician demonstrated hatred toward an ethnically distinct group.
A Spinter Tyrimai poll showed in early August that the party came in second, as 10.2 percent of the respondents said they would vote for the party in the general election.
Žemaitaitis ran for president in May and came in fourth with 9.21 percent of the vote
The Seimas election in Lithuania will take place on October 13.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
