VILNIUS — President Dalia Grybauskaitė said she couldn’t see any political forces in the country capable of forming a new government in Lithuania.

Lithuania’s opposition parties have been threatening to form a new government and presenting new policy ideas since the coalition has lost its formal majority in the Seimas by one seat last month. The center-right ruling coalition of the Homeland Union-Christian Democrats union, National Resurrection Party, Liberal and Center Union and the Liberals Movement now hold only 70 seats out of 141 in the parliament, but have the conditional support of the three-seat Peasant Popular Union.

The president said [private_supervisor]the opposition parties’ alternative program did not add anything, but was full of “empty promises,” and other policies of the incumbent government.

“The current opposition and its so-called alternative program is nothing new and has no radical policies that aren’t empty promises, or just a repeat of what makes the current ruling coalition’s policy. Perhaps you can see the political forces that have fire power and are able and willing to take over power … however, I do not see it,” Grybauskaitė told Veidas magazine in an interview published Monday.

Grybauskaitė has not been a close ally of the government — she dismissed foreign minister Vygaudas Ušackas and several other high-level officials since taking office in July. But in the interview, she conceded that while the government is doing its best to manage the economy and consolidate the country’s finances in light of diminished tax returns, although some of the reforms have been unpopular.

“The government is trying to do what is required for any government in the period — manage the financial and economic situation,” Grybauskaitė said.

“Their work is in motion, but I see their lack of pace and the government’s own lack of coordination,” the president said citing the recent public furor over the compulsory health insurance tax.

On Monday, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius told Russia Today that he was proud of his government’s work during the crisis pulling it away from the brink without a large-scale bailout like Latvia needed.

“Now we see quite many experts were showing to Greece that they should follow Lithuanian example, not just looking for some kind of assistance from EU or from IMF. So, we are proud that we managed to stabilize economic situation,” Kubilius said.

Whether Grybauskaitė’s endorsement of the ruling coalition improves its public standing remains to be seen — its poll numbers continue to dwindle. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]the opposition parties’ alternative program did not add anything, but was full of “empty promises,” and other policies of the incumbent government.

“The current opposition and its so-called alternative program is nothing new and has no radical policies that aren’t empty promises, or just a repeat of what makes the current ruling coalition’s policy. Perhaps you can see the political forces that have fire power and are able and willing to take over power … however, I do not see it,” Grybauskaitė told Veidas magazine in an interview published Monday.

Grybauskaitė has not been a close ally of the government — she dismissed foreign minister Vygaudas Ušackas and several other high-level officials since taking office in July. But in the interview, she conceded that while the government is doing its best to manage the economy and consolidate the country’s finances in light of diminished tax returns, although some of the reforms have been unpopular.

“The government is trying to do what is required for any government in the period — manage the financial and economic situation,” Grybauskaitė said.

“Their work is in motion, but I see their lack of pace and the government’s own lack of coordination,” the president said citing the recent public furor over the compulsory health insurance tax.

On Monday, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius told Russia Today that he was proud of his government’s work during the crisis pulling it away from the brink without a large-scale bailout like Latvia needed.

“Now we see quite many experts were showing to Greece that they should follow Lithuanian example, not just looking for some kind of assistance from EU or from IMF. So, we are proud that we managed to stabilize economic situation,” Kubilius said.

Whether Grybauskaitė’s endorsement of the ruling coalition improves its public standing remains to be seen — its poll numbers continue to dwindle. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]the opposition parties’ alternative program did not add anything, but was full of “empty promises,” and other policies of the incumbent government.

“The current opposition and its so-called alternative program is nothing new and has no radical policies that aren’t empty promises, or just a repeat of what makes the current ruling coalition’s policy. Perhaps you can see the political forces that have fire power and are able and willing to take over power … however, I do not see it,” Grybauskaitė told Veidas magazine in an interview published Monday.

Grybauskaitė has not been a close ally of the government — she dismissed foreign minister Vygaudas Ušackas and several other high-level officials since taking office in July. But in the interview, she conceded that while the government is doing its best to manage the economy and consolidate the country’s finances in light of diminished tax returns, although some of the reforms have been unpopular.

“The government is trying to do what is required for any government in the period — manage the financial and economic situation,” Grybauskaitė said.

“Their work is in motion, but I see their lack of pace and the government’s own lack of coordination,” the president said citing the recent public furor over the compulsory health insurance tax.

On Monday, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius told Russia Today that he was proud of his government’s work during the crisis pulling it away from the brink without a large-scale bailout like Latvia needed.

“Now we see quite many experts were showing to Greece that they should follow Lithuanian example, not just looking for some kind of assistance from EU or from IMF. So, we are proud that we managed to stabilize economic situation,” Kubilius said.

Whether Grybauskaitė’s endorsement of the ruling coalition improves its public standing remains to be seen — its poll numbers continue to dwindle. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]the opposition parties’ alternative program did not add anything, but was full of “empty promises,” and other policies of the incumbent government.

“The current opposition and its so-called alternative program is nothing new and has no radical policies that aren’t empty promises, or just a repeat of what makes the current ruling coalition’s policy. Perhaps you can see the political forces that have fire power and are able and willing to take over power … however, I do not see it,” Grybauskaitė told Veidas magazine in an interview published Monday.

Grybauskaitė has not been a close ally of the government — she dismissed foreign minister Vygaudas Ušackas and several other high-level officials since taking office in July. But in the interview, she conceded that while the government is doing its best to manage the economy and consolidate the country’s finances in light of diminished tax returns, although some of the reforms have been unpopular.

“The government is trying to do what is required for any government in the period — manage the financial and economic situation,” Grybauskaitė said.

“Their work is in motion, but I see their lack of pace and the government’s own lack of coordination,” the president said citing the recent public furor over the compulsory health insurance tax.

On Monday, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius told Russia Today that he was proud of his government’s work during the crisis pulling it away from the brink without a large-scale bailout like Latvia needed.

“Now we see quite many experts were showing to Greece that they should follow Lithuanian example, not just looking for some kind of assistance from EU or from IMF. So, we are proud that we managed to stabilize economic situation,” Kubilius said.

Whether Grybauskaitė’s endorsement of the ruling coalition improves its public standing remains to be seen — its poll numbers continue to dwindle. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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