Moving chairs causes more and more noise: Budrys, who saved the post, is already called a scapegoat by the opposition

On Friday, it was revealed that A. Plepytė is being replaced by Ambassador to Austria Lina Rukštelienė. It is believed that she was chosen not by chance, but because of a special connection with the Social Democrats, going through the diplomat’s father Neris Germanas.

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The latter was a very influential Social Democrat figure, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and former advisor to President Algirdas Brazauskas.

The reshuffle in the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs surprised the country’s diplomats as well. Some of them wonder why L. Rukštelienė is returning to Vilnius, although her entire previous career apparently shows that she was attached to the Austrian capital and had exceptional conditions.

Before becoming Lithuania’s ambassador to Austria, L. Rukštelienė also worked for a long time at the permanent mission to international organizations and the OSCE, also based in Vienna.

It is announced that L. Rukštelienė will oversee transatlantic cooperation and security issues. This choice by Kęstutis Budrys, who retained the foreign minister’s seat after great difficulties, and behind whom, according to opposition representatives, the Social Democrats’ leadership hides, further confused Žygimantas Pavilionis of the conservatives, who sharply criticized A. Plepytė’s dismissal.

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The Vice-Chairman of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee told 15min that the Social Democrats might have cared more about getting rid of A. Plepytė than appointing L. Rukštelienė in her place, but this reshuffle confirms that K. Budrys is forced to surround himself with loyal actors to the ruling party.

“I think K. Budrys has already realized that he no longer has a proper roof at S. Daukantas Square, that he can be replaced at any time.

In order to remain in the Social Democrats’ Government, he must completely give up his backbone and his analytical mind. This requires replacing all the backbone deputy ministers, who have three decades of experience and fight for Lithuania’s interests, going against hostile circumstances,” the politician explained.

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