State of the Nation Address by Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania
President of the Republic of Lithuania
June 20, 2023
Dear Fellow People of Lithuania,
Distinguished Members of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,
It is a great honor and a profound responsibility for me to fulfill the duty prescribed by the 30-year-old Constitution of Lithuania.
As time passes, it brings out the essence - what we hold most important and precious. Everything we fought for and defended in the past. Everything worth fighting for in the future.
Independence, sovereignty, and democracy are the pillars of our wealth and prosperity.
The tradition of statehood, rooted in the nation's cultural identity and its unquenchable quest for freedom, is a source of inspiration for us.
The Lithuanian people are deeply committed to shaping the future of their families, communities and country. Every contribution is important in creating the common good. And everyone has the right to state protection.
However, the opportunity to pursue life goals in dignity, safety and peace is not a given. Once lost, regaining freedom can be extremely difficult.
We must defend freedom each day, without waiting for the threat of war and tyranny to cast a shadow over our horizons.
We received a grave warning 482 days ago, when Russia, assisted by Belarus, attacked Ukraine.
The criminal war has been ongoing for almost 16 months. The unprovoked military aggression against a historically close country has deeply affected each of us. All of Lithuania is helping Ukraine. As a result, I believe we are now more united, stronger and more resilient.
It is delightful to know that the Ukrainian Center operating in Vilnius has become a refuge for thousands of Ukrainians. I am grateful to Lithuanian non-governmental organizations, municipalities and businesses for providing support to Ukraine as well as for their sincere concern to ensure that Ukrainians who have settled in Lithuanian cities and towns have everything they need.
Political, military, financial, and humanitarian aid from Lithuania and the Western democratic world is saving lives every day. Together we help Ukraine not only to withstand but also to liberate seized territories.
We cannot stop. Many countries have already outlined and declared multiannual military, economic and financial assistance programmes, demonstrating their ongoing political commitment to Ukraine's victory. In Lithuania, we also need to make respective decisions for the immediate future.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
While the people of Ukraine continue their heroic struggle for freedom and the future of their country, we must ensure the security of Lithuania.
The Russian threat to Lithuania and our entire region has not diminished. On the contrary, we see efforts to amass weapons in Kaliningrad, we hear of plans to build up forces on NATO's eastern borders, and nuclear weapons are being deployed in Belarus.
We need to take these challenges seriously and responsibly. And to respond accordingly.
We must be confident and convince our partners and potential adversaries that at the decisive moment we will stand brave and strong to defend ourselves.
With Russia posing an existential threat to the state of Lithuania, we must use each and every day most effectively. Only if we are strong will we withstand any challenges.
Soon, in July, a NATO summit will be held in Vilnius. This is a landmark event and a great achievement for us all.
Over the past year, I have discussed many times with the leaders of allied nations the necessity to implement the agreements reached in Madrid and to respond more swiftly to the changing security situation. I emphasized that NATO's eastern borders must be reinforced. I underlined the need for a combat brigade-sized unit in Lithuania with all the necessary support.
I hope that at our meeting in Vilnius, we will be able to confirm that we have agreed not only on a rotational air defense model but also on new detailed regional defense plans.
We will also discuss military mobility as a prerequisite for effective allied reinforcement. Lithuania will seek agreement on the prepositioning of weapons and equipment at the borders of the Alliance, which would help reduce NATO's response time to potential aggression.
Ukraine will definitely be in our focus. We will discuss not only further military assistance to this freedom-fighting country but also its relationship with the Alliance. Lithuania strongly supports Ukraine's membership in NATO. We are exploring ways to bring Ukraine even closer to the Alliance and to strengthen practical cooperation right now.
In Vilnius, we will welcome Finland as a new NATO member. We also look forward to Sweden's membership, which would strongly enhance the security of the Baltic Sea region and the Alliance as a whole.
Finally, NATO leaders will focus on defense funding. If we want the Alliance to maintain its technological and defensive edge, 2 percent of GDP allocated to defense must become the new "floor". The foundation on which we will build NATO's future strength.
Lithuania is already setting an example to other NATO countries by allocating 2.5 percent of its GDP for defense. In the future, I believe we will reach 3 percent.
Every euro spent on defense must contribute to modernizing the Lithuanian Armed Forces, strengthening our state and enhancing its security.
The decision to create a division in Lithuania has already been made in the State Defense Council. This requires a swift acquisition of the necessary weapons and equipment as well as the development of infrastructure. We will not be able to accomplish all of this with the current funding.
Taking lessons from Ukraine, we must strengthen national and regional air defense capabilities, accelerate the acquisition of medium-range air defense systems, and increase the necessary military stocks.
We are already taking important steps to strengthen military security. Excellent relations between Lithuania and Poland materialize in new areas. Together with Polish President Andrzej Duda, we started a dialogue on an exercise plan with Polish armed forces in our country, including the defense of the Suwałki corridor.
To speed up the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania, we must first do our homework and prepare to receive allied forces.
I understand that there may be differences of opinion on the methods and means to achieve our goals as quickly as possible. However, I feel it my duty to once again call on all Lithuanian politicians to resist the temptation to put personal political interests ahead of national security goals.
I know that we can find joint solutions where necessary. I saw this when I proposed that the state budget for 2023 should allow for the possibility of covering the costs of national defense projects up to 3 percent of our GDP.
Last year, parliamentary parties reached an agreement on strengthening Lithuania's national security and defense in the immediate term. Regrettably, it did not include proposals for universal conscription and increased defense appropriations.
I do not doubt that the issue of universal military conscription will remain relevant. In times of existential threat, we must increase the army reserve faster and better reflect the equality of all Lithuanian citizens and the duty they have to their Homeland.
In the future, we will have to place greater emphasis on the citizens' will to resist. The events in Ukraine have demonstrated that this is a crucial element of national security. Civic and patriotic education as well as the integration of citizens into national defense, must be a top priority in Lithuania.
The initiative to introduce a course on citizenship and defense skills in general education schools from September next year is much welcome. It is important though not to forget that we will also need properly trained educators.
The system of total defense also requires ensuring the vital functions of the state in peace, crisis and war. This calls for increasingly better protection of the country's critical infrastructure and a further build-up of our cyber muscle.
In civil protection, we need to abandon a formal and dismissive approach and stop hiding behind mere paperwork. Clear responsibilities must be assigned to each link in the system, and regular exercises should be conducted to address any shortcomings. We can no longer tolerate the disconnect between plans and reality.
We must also learn the lessons of the war in Ukraine. We need to set up as many emergency shelters as possible and to ensure that warning systems and other security measures are properly functioning.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Lithuania will be navigating an international environment that has become increasingly unpredictable and, as a result, more threatening.
There is no room for hesitation, indecision or compliance in the family of Western nations. Realpolitik did not deter but rather encouraged Vladimir Putin to launch a barbaric war in Ukraine.
Europe will be neither united nor secure without the involvement of the United States. I will emphasize this point during my meeting with President Joe Biden in July.
We must strive to ensure that the US focus on Lithuania's security remains unchanged. We share many common interests. Not only do we seek to stop Russian aggression, but we are also watching with concern China's growing role in the Indo-Pacific region, its expanding ties with Russia and economic blackmail.
The coming decades are likely to see even closer collaboration between authoritarian regimes. We must be prepared for this.
Russia displays significant activity in non-NATO and non-EU countries within our region, taking advantage of their vulnerabilities. A full package of hybrid warfare tools is deployed right before our eyes, from disinformation and propaganda to agent recruitment, bribery and blackmail.
Let's be under no illusion - we are also a target. We need to focus even more on countering subversive activities and reinforcing our intelligence and counter-intelligence institutions. I call on former officials and current politicians to carefully consider whether settling personal scores does not jeopardize national security.
Belarus demands our special attention. The regime in this country has entangled itself in a spiderweb of dependence on Russia and is now being consumed by it. At the same time, Belarus is fading. This has already led to the construction of an unsafe nuclear power plant in Ostrovets and to the atrocities committed in Bucha and Irpin, where the killers wearing Russian army uniforms emerged from Belarus.
The human rights situation in Belarus is deteriorating rapidly. Opposition leaders are arrested, political parties are persecuted, and torture has become the norm. Independent media has been wiped out and active civil society organizations have been shut down. The introduction of the death penalty for acts of terrorism has become a totalitarian stranglehold on society.
It is the duty of the international community, including Lithuania, to isolate the Belarus regime and impose tough international sanctions. We must press for the release and rehabilitation of political prisoners in Belarus as well as for transparent and democratic elections.
The issue of the unsafe Ostrovets nuclear power plant remains urgent. Despite serious incidents at the plant, covered up last year and subsequently exposed by Lithuanian intelligence, the Belarus regime is proceeding with the launch of its second unit.
The current Lithuanian government came to power with promises to bring the Ostrovets nuclear power plant to a halt. Although this has not been achieved, giving up is not an option. To safeguard our national security, all governmental institutions must work smoothly and in unison.
I have personally succeeded in having the Ostrovets nuclear power plant identified as a problem affecting the entire European Union. This is reflected in the conclusions adopted by the European Council. It is time for the relevant institutions to submit specific proposals for countering the threat posed by the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets. We can no longer afford to wait.
It is just as important for the European Union to reduce its dependence on Russian nuclear technologies. Rosatom deserves international sanctions for its actions not only at the Russia-seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine but also in Ostrovets.
An essential task for the Government is to accelerate the synchronization of the Baltic electricity grids with continental Europe. This year is decisive for disconnecting from the BRELL network as quickly as possible.
As Lithuania enters its 20th year in the European Union and NATO, are we prepared to break free from this dependence on Russia? I do not doubt that we are. It is our duty to all Lithuanian citizens.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we look at the countries within the region, we see that attempts to stay in the grey zone by navigating between the West and the East inevitably fail.
Lithuania made its decision very early on - and never wavered. Today, we wholeheartedly support those who choose the path of Euro-Atlantic integration.
The European Union's decisions regarding Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans are encouraging. Amid the war, Ukraine has managed to achieve candidate status. I hope that this year - despite the ongoing war - a decision will be made to start negotiations between the European Union and Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine brought Europe together. I saw with my own eyes how, in successive European Council meetings, we mobilized our political will on issues related in one way or another to countering Russian aggression. I finally heard what I have been seeking for several years - no more concessions to Russia. I saw more Europe and more courage to act together in the world.
Russia's energy blackmail made the colleagues still wearing rose-tinted glasses take them off. Lithuania's decision to abandon Russian energy imports has set an example for other European Union countries.
We also need to resist Russian pressure in the field of historical memory. Standing on the crooked legs of ideologized history, Russia creates fabricated narratives to mislead the people of Europe. By denying or justifying the crimes of the Stalinist regime, Russia encroaches on the sovereignty of the countries that have suffered them.
Europe has no right to ignore this. Therefore, last July, together with the leaders of Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Romania, we called on EU institutions to focus on European historical memory policies, to properly assess and commemorate the victims of the Soviet regime. Only by objectively evaluating totalitarian regimes and condemning Soviet crimes will we achieve real, not façade-type, unity across Europe.
We discussed this matter last year in Kaunas, the European Capital of Culture, where we explored ways to renew the idea of Europe. After all, Europe is a continual living process of civilizational, cultural and political choices.
The Kaunas-European Capital of Culture platform once again reminded us how important it is to be actively engaged in European cultural life. To do this, we need to better understand and foster the best that we have.
Just recently, last year, speaking from this podium about our pride and honor - the reprinting of the monthly newspaper "Aušra" - I couldn't have even imagined that thanks to a generous patron and partners, it would quickly reach Lithuanian schools, libraries and museums. Today, "Aušra" allows the younger generation to connect with the roots of Lithuanian identity and the quest for freedom.
In the future, we will not only have to build on our roots but also work towards a worldwide roll-out of lituanistic programmes. Detached efforts in lituanistic education and at centers for Lithuanian and Baltic studies should be replaced by consistent strategic action and institutional collaboration.
Let there be no doubt - Lithuania's soft power has potential. This is illustrated by the accelerated preparations for the Season of Lithuania in France, which we agreed with President Emmanuel Macron in 2021.
To further enhance this potential, we must ensure that culture finally finds its rightful place in state policies. We need to protect our cultural heritage, place greater emphasis on the interconnection between culture and education, and ultimately develop and adopt a framework law on cultural policy.
The Constitution of our country stipulates that culture must be accessible to every citizen. Everyone has the right to creative freedom as well as the opportunity to explore the rich heritage of Lithuania, Lithuanians and the peoples living here. If we ensure this, I believe we will be more interesting not only to ourselves but also to the people of Europe and the world. And at the same time, we will be stronger and more resilient in our values.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The sustainable growth of the Lithuanian state is inseparable from the growth of our economy.
In the current complex economic situation, as we face the looming clouds of recession, we should remember that it is always more cost-effective to support people and businesses during a crisis than to leave them at the mercy of fate.
The threat of recession does not eliminate the need to reduce social exclusion and income disparity, develop regions, and ensure access to quality education and healthcare.
I believe eventually we will be able to do more for families with children, youth, seniors, people with disabilities, the underprivileged, and others who need help in Lithuania.
There are already positive signs. Public opinion and inter-institutional cooperation are changing the mindset of politicians. The welfare state is gradually gaining ground on the political agenda.
In response to an unprecedented spike in inflation, the state budget for 2022 was adjusted, and a new assistance package was introduced in conjunction with the 2023 budget, providing electricity and gas price compensations for residents, along with continued increases in the tax-free income, pensions and other social benefits.
Joint efforts to mitigate the impact of the shock of rising energy prices and interest rates on Lithuanian businesses are also encouraging. Timely decisions on energy price compensation and more affordable investment borrowing from the Economic Recovery and Resilience Fund give hope that the Lithuanian economy will not be sidelined.
Extending profit tax incentives would also encourage innovative investment.
The national development bank, whose idea I have consistently promoted since the beginning of my term, will inject more dynamism into the economy.
The long-promised tax reform plan is finally here. The proposal to tax high income based on its size rather than type of activity is a major step towards more tax fairness.
However, the reform proposals are still flawed, particularly regarding changes to self-employment taxes, which would adversely affect low and middle-income earners. Provisions that do not correspond to the basic logic of the reform should be rectified as soon as possible.
I have initiated a mechanism for supplementary pension adjustments, which will soon bring the replacement rate - the ratio between the pension and the former salary - to 50 percent. We cannot just sit back and wait for better times. There is no other way to achieve a 60-70 percent replacement rate than to keep working towards it.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation that the Seimas took into account my position not to cancel medication reimbursements for elderly and disabled persons.
There are optimistic signs of a changing attitude towards people with disabilities. A new framework for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities has been approved - which will hopefully enable the system to reach out to individuals, instead of making them struggle in finding a way to the system.
We also need a mindset shift for a faster adaptation of the entire physical and informational environment. Every member of the community, organization, and politician should think about how to make the lives of people with disabilities more comfortable, starting from their field of responsibility.
A significant symbolic step was the enactment of a law ensuring equal rights to prize money for all athletes, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. It is only on the foundation of equality that we can build a high-performance sports financing system.
If we paid more attention to athletes in their early ages and the run-ups to competitions, there would be less controversy over the distribution of prizes.
The Law on Sport mentions children four times. Prize money is mentioned 14 times. By focusing so much on medals and sporting achievements, we ignore children's physical activity, their involvement in sports, meaningful engagement, and ultimately the well-being of their families.
The foundations for a healthy life are laid in the early years and decades. Therefore, the state must invest in children's health by promoting healthy choices, so that fewer funds need to be spent on medication later on.
And in cases when an illness strikes a child unexpectedly, threatening a life that has just begun, it cannot be the parents' concern alone. As a society, we should avoid medieval judgments that one or another treatment is 'too expensive' or 'not worth it'.
First, it is for professionals to decide whether the treatment is effective and whether help is possible. This should be the primary criterion for treating all individuals, and that is how I see equal access to healthcare.
Regrettably, the overall situation in healthcare is not good or even satisfactory. Health reform, like many others, has gradually become a curse word for the Lithuanian people.
Even though the Seimas adopted healthcare regulations last summer, promises of fundamental change remain hanging in the air. We are still waiting for shorter appointment lines, better access to health services, faster medical assistance, and transparency.
Having made so many mistakes, we can no longer make them again. Reform for the sake of reform is meaningless; people should feel its benefits. Preferably here and now or at least soon.
I often remind mayors of Lithuanian municipalities that they too can take the initiative and push the healthcare reform train forward. However, while they can push, a strong pulling force is also necessary. The Ministry of Health must be the driving locomotive, without which municipal efforts may amount to nothing.
Not only in healthcare but also in many other areas, there is a strong wish to reduce costs, streamline the budget line and optimize, as is commonly said. Sometimes it resembles a shooting competition to spot - and eliminate - an allegedly redundant function.
However, the accounting line is not everything. We need to create not only financial but also social value for people.
Where there is no quality healthcare, education, social and cultural services, no public transport, and no infrastructure investment, there will be no people. There will be nothing to do there and nothing to live for. Businesses will not come either. These regions will be doomed to stagnation and eventual decline.
So, we need to think about what people need, not about financial reports.
In the coming years, we will have to tackle even more complex demographic challenges. It is already clear that isolated ideas, such as promoting balanced immigration, are not enough. Family policy in Lithuania remains neglected.
We celebrate families only on Mother's or Father's Day, and perhaps on Children's Day. But why not set a truly ambitious goal, such as becoming the most family-friendly country in the European Union?
We can start with tax incentives. In recent years, we have made significant progress by raising the tax-free income threshold. It should be aligned with the minimum monthly wage. It is only a matter of time and political will.
But why not take care of families with children first? Let's introduce a universal, minimum-wage tax-free amount of income, regardless of whether parents are employed or self-employed.
I do not doubt that we would feel positive effects very quickly. Most importantly, Lithuanian families with children would be the first to benefit.
Parents would also benefit significantly from equal access to quality education. However, the ongoing commercialization of schooling, which not only goes unchecked but is also encouraged, increases social exclusion even further, setting the stage for future problems. Meanwhile, the strengthening of the public education system is stalling.
The Millennium Schools Programme should not become yet another self-serving reform aimed primarily at absorbing European funds rather than improving learning conditions for children.
Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate its intermediate results by checking progress plans against declared objectives, identifying deficiencies and addressing them.
The decisions that are currently made, both on the criteria for restructuring the school network and updating the curriculum, are accompanied by the notion that everything has been decided and there is no room for new ideas. This shifts the burden of political decisions largely onto the shoulders of teachers. They continue to be relentlessly squeezed between parental demands and educational red tape. Some teachers lose hope. Others leave. Or they do not even enter the profession, despite completing state-supported pedagogical studies.
Will it not happen that in 2025 we will be still wringing our hands over the prestige of the teaching profession? Will the skeptics who predicted five or six years ago that the ambition to restore that prestige would end in failure triumph again? Prestige is either there or it is not. Only concrete actions, such as a teacher pay increase programme, can create it.
At the same time, I would invite the Lithuanian teaching community to engage more actively in education strategy matters, helping society better understand the alternatives. Dear teachers, your civic stand is needed now, not tomorrow or the day after.
Together, we can strive for the well-being of Lithuania's children and avoid actions that undermine it. Therefore, I have opposed the mandatory profiling of students who have completed their basic education into vocational and general education schools. I welcome the decision of the Seimas to take my submissions into account.
In the coming years, we will have to ensure that the entire education system functions as a social mobility elevator, rather than perpetuates the existing socio-economic divides.
From the first steps of education, children from socially vulnerable backgrounds should feel strong encouragement to pursue learning. That is the purpose of the "Equal Start" package, I initiated in 2020, which brings increasingly more children to pre-school education every year.
The development of inclusive education should also contribute to reducing economic and cultural exclusion. We have already agreed that all schools must be open to students with diverse needs. However, we will not achieve results if we do not allocate sufficient resources for the development of inclusive schooling.
Proposals to postpone or only partially implement amendments to the Law on Education are just another attempt to sweep problems under the rug.
No child can be forgotten in Lithuania. Every life is unique and cannot be held hostage to bureaucratic clumsiness.
We also need wise decisions when restructuring the college network. The requirements regarding the number of students, full-time teachers and degree-holding lecturers, and the success of graduates in the labor market measure all colleges against the same standard.
However, each higher educational establishment operates under different conditions. When considering the future perspective of colleges, it is necessary to evaluate their contribution to the development of a specific region. We need to ensure that higher education does not vanish from the regions and that its quality improves, supported by scientific activity.
Our steps in the field of culture should be guided by the understanding that the Republic of Lithuania, despite its deeply rooted traditions, is still a young state. Each year of our freedom and independence is of golden value for strengthening statehood. Every young person is our country's today and tomorrow. That is why education must not only be of high quality but also take place in a safe environment. The spread of drugs in schools must not become another statistical line in police or medical reports. We must use all means, from education to prevention, to stop this cancer. There can be no exceptions or reservations!
Our success in fostering young people's thirst for knowledge, creativity, solidarity, civic engagement, and ultimately an authentic sense of national, European and global culture will shape Lithuania's progress for decades to come.
As I work with my team in Lithuanian regions, I am amazed by the unity and strength of our nation. The commitment to help neighbors and those in need, to give inspiration and support. The desire to live in harmony with the surrounding environment and to mitigate the impact of climate change.
I am delighted that the Power of Lithuania project, which I initiated, now connects about 300 communities, non-governmental organizations, social businesses, and individual initiatives. Together, they are the most beautiful example of a strong, just, green, and innovative Lithuania of welfare.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The future success of Lithuania will depend on our preparedness for global-scale shocks. And they will range from climate change to the artificial intelligence revolution.
The digitization and green transformation of Lithuania will be taking place within the context of the European Union's competitiveness strategy. Our focus will be on strengthening the single market, enhancing technological and industrial infrastructure, removing surplus barriers, and promoting international partnerships.
But it is our responsibility to seek innovative solutions and unique competitive advantages. Therefore, I am pleased that this year we will launch a network of innovation advisers across institutions, which I have been advocating since 2020. It will help us build bridges between science and practice and create more added value.
But these efforts will be in vain if they lack scientific content and applied skills. Therefore, we must consistently expand research funding, significantly improve conditions for researchers and increase their flagging salaries, which will eventually help us attract more foreign talent.
In the short term, we will remain a country of manufacturing. And that is good, something we can be proud of! But what kind of manufacturing? Without modern technologies, we would be trapped in yesterday.
We need a true renaissance in manufacturing, based on the development of zero-emission industries throughout Lithuania. We need to have Lithuania increasingly better positioned in international markets as a producer of electric vehicles and components, chips, solar and wind components, energy storage systems, heat pumps, and other high-value-added products.
It is evident that to compete with other EU member states and third countries, we will need to harness renewable energy.
Generating local green electricity will help us avoid new energy price spikes in the near term. In the long term, we must work to create an oasis of low fixed energy costs.
The results of the upcoming auctions for offshore wind farms will show whether we can become self-sufficient in local electricity generation by 2030.
New horizons are emerging for our transport and logistics sectors. It is time to bid farewell to the vision of the crossroads between East and West. We must create an efficient North-South transport link that would serve as the backbone connecting the Baltic, Black and Adriatic Seas.
In this regard, it is disappointing that the Rail Baltica project, the European gauge railway, is progressing slower than planned. The overall state of transport infrastructure used by most Lithuanian residents has become truly deplorable.
Not long ago, we were greatly alarmed about the Utena concrete highway. Yet, even before its reconstruction was halfway through, it became apparent that the condition of many other Lithuanian roads was no better. And it continues to deteriorate.
More and more bridges and roads in Lithuania are crumbling and collapsing right before our eyes. This is the result of years of underfunding and neglect from responsible authorities.
Unless we fundamentally change our approach to infrastructure and continue with the "patch here and there" approach, our roads will become a serious drag on Lithuania's entire transport system.
I hope that when planning national and municipal budgets we will be able to get rid of the so-called money illusion, where the purchasing power of the euro is considered a constant. The same amount of money allocated for road reconstruction and development compared to last year means one thing - there will be less work done. I would like to remind you that we intend to use additional public funds obtained from temporary bank solidarity contributions for the development of both military and civil transport infrastructure.
I also expect more ambition in public transport. So far, we have been stagnant, unable to ensure quality services. Municipal cooperation, except for isolated cases, has not yielded the desired results.
It is time to finally realize that public transport plays an exceptional role not only in major cities but also across regions. It must guarantee people's right to have convenient access to education, healthcare and social services, make workplaces more attractive, and enable people to move around with lower pollution levels.
Some of the problems could be solved by municipalities responding to local needs and organizing services differently. However, the state cannot distance itself from developing regional routes and increasing the number of runs. Over the next two years, this must be at the core of the Government's work on regional connectivity.
There is unfinished work in the agricultural sector as well. The recent dairy crisis highlighted the need for long-term sustainable mechanisms to avoid or at least mitigate market shocks.
Nevertheless, I am grateful to the Seimas for listening to my arguments regarding the Law on Farms. We all share the same goals: to have strong regions and vibrant villages, to ensure generational change in the agricultural sector, and to encourage more young people to settle and farm in rural areas.
The decision to adopt amendments to the Law on Land, granting more power to municipalities, is very welcome. The second stage of the reform is critical for ensuring that state assets deliver the best value for both the state and its citizens.
We must work together to achieve ambitious environmental policy goals, including the National Climate Change Management Agenda.
Not enough has been done so far in strengthening state environmental control to prevent and identify systemic breaches. Therefore, together with the Prosecutor General's Office, I have submitted amendments to the Penal Code, proposing a more precise definition of what constitutes significant harm to nature, for which criminal liability can be imposed.
The story of a century-old oak tree cut down in the very heart of Vilnius cannot be repeated, nor can those responsible go unpunished. A great deal of harm was done not only to our natural surroundings - citizens' trust in the state suffered the most.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Justice is the essential guarantee of people's trust in their state and its strength.
However, our judicial system, responsible for administering justice, has been held hostage to political intrigue and budget austerity for too long. This could have led to half-empty courthouses where only a bailiff with unpaid postal bills would be knocking on the door for another six months or a year.
The ongoing restructuring of the civil service has helped to solve the problem of judges' salaries. The Seimas decision to adopt a package of amendments to the Law on Courts, improving procedures for the selection, appointment and promotion of judges, is commendable. This is an important step forward in encouraging more legal professionals to pursue a judicial career.
However, if we patch one spot, we cannot allow the garment to tear in another. The financial situation in the prosecution system today is no different from what it was in the judiciary. What cases will the courts be handling without prosecution?
After all, this is the same issue of justice, trust and internal resilience that we must address.
The courts, the prosecution and other state institutions not necessarily directly involved in the administration of justice must be always prepared to perform their functions properly.
It is no less important that politicians are also aware of their responsibility.
The economic developments in recent years, both during the pandemic and the energy crisis, signaled a positive change. Previous belt-tightening policies and accounting austerity were replaced by counter-cyclical measures. The state moved to become stronger not at the expense of citizens, but together with them.
Regrettably, the tender seedlings of trust fostered in the economy are being trampled in other areas.
The recently disclosed massive misuse of work-related funds by municipal council members is one such example.
Public indignation has been aroused not only, and even not so much, by the embarrassing stories of dozens and hundreds of different fuel payment cards or by missing receipts. It is the bizarre explanations and the blind denial of responsibility that are far more offensive.
Yes, law enforcement has initiated several investigations, which will hopefully provide answers to many questions. What is surprising though is the inaction demonstrated by the High Official Ethics Commission, which does not seem to be willing to take the initiative and act, but rather is looking for an excuse to do nothing. This raises doubts about the mission that this institution has to deliver.
But even more surprising is how the ruling majority has responded.
Instead of addressing the seemingly straightforward problem of political ethics and responsibility, they suddenly started seeking collective blame. Tossing ultimatums. And finally, talking about a mystical "general amnesty".
But the problem has not gone away. When the dust settles down after this political storm, people will see what they saw at the very beginning - a huge gap between loud declarations of transparency and actual actions. A desire to safeguard own interests at any cost. A lack of political accountability.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is not the first time that I feel a duty when delivering the Annual State of the Nation Address to call on Members of the Seimas, especially those in the ruling parties, to show more respect for another opinion, to listen and to hear.
In recent years, lack of attention to the outcomes of political actions, the self-serving, poorly designed and impractical reforms, insufficient transparency, and sometimes outright cynicism has been raising increasing concerns.
The idea of bringing back "eternal" leaders of state-owned enterprises, which has resurfaced recently, seems strange to say the least.
Once again, we see the resurgence of political "beavers", although adorned in new colors - a kind of "neo-beaverism" of undeclared public and private interests.
Indeed, a part of society is looking forward to replacing a government that failed in the next general elections.
However, it seems to me that it is not yet too late to show the Lithuanian people the respect they deserve. It is not yet too late to make decisions based on the interests of society and not narrow party interests, to continue building a modern welfare state, to overcome all kinds of exclusion and injustice, and to bridge the gap between the state and the people.
This mission is possible. I believe that we can find within ourselves the strength for moral, principled and coherent politics. The strength to be patient, refrain from primitive political revenge and to directly face the people, even if they are saying unpleasant things.
The state will be weak and vulnerable if its institutions fail to find common ground with the people. It is not enough to open the doors of ministries and government agencies and provide access to databases. We need to find a pathway to the people. Not only in big cities but also in small towns and villages. Because Lithuania is beautiful and strong the way it is - diverse, unabridged and not tailored to a single "correct" pattern.
Today, our Homeland stands between the greatest security guarantees in its history and an increasingly growing threat. Between dazzling prospects of economic progress and grim decisions to stand still. Between a strong commitment to build a more just society and the constant looking back at the regrettable mistakes of the past.
Reviving the monthly newspaper "Aušra" required the initiative of like-minded people who could be counted on the fingers of both hands. To achieve positive changes in our lives, we need a much broader effort. It is our choice to either put spokes in each other's wheels or to stand shoulder to shoulder. It is more than obvious which path guarantees success.
I invite each and everyone to contribute to building a strong, just, green, and innovative Lithuania!
Thank you for your attention.
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Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania
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