President: Lithuania is too small for regional differences to exist
“I have always held, still hold and probably will not change my opinion anymore that Lithuania is too small for large regional differences to exist in it. Ours is only 2.8 million. people and Lithuania are one, it must be good, comfortable and most importantly promising for everyone to live there”, he said in the opening speech of the event held at the Presidency on Thursday.
According to the President, people living in cities and remote regions of the country must see the perspective.
According to G. Nausėda, the division of Lithuania into two parts is observed less often.
“Maybe from some subjective things I notice, you remember, a few years ago the division of Lithuania into the first and second Lithuania was very popular, recently I notice this division a little less,” he said.
The president said that regional differences could have been mitigated or “people gave up their hands, no longer believing that that difference could ever disappear”.
In his opening speech, G. Nausėda noted that with the upcoming municipal elections next year, the regions of Lithuania can expect greater attention from politicians.
“The municipal elections are approaching and as they approach, you will probably receive more and more visits from Vilnius – both ministers and other politicians will probably discover the regions again and again,” said the head of the country.
“I don’t want to say that the attention is insincere and many ministries are involved in regional problems and their solution, but the very dependence between the date of the elections and the frequency of visits, I still cannot deny this, that thing is there,” he added.
According to the president, the first part of the forum will be dedicated to discussing the need for changes in the field of employment. Representatives of Klaipėda, Tauragė, Elektrėnai municipalities will share good practices.
The second part of the forum will discuss the integration and functioning of the memorandum on municipal autonomy signed in September 2020.
The forum is attended by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, ministers, mayors, politicians, experts. The President’s initiative is organized together with the Ministry of the Interior and the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities.
Also on the agenda are the development of regions, changes in the sphere of employment, opportunities for energy companies to take advantage of the jumps in controlling electricity prices, the development of public transport in the country, the Presidency stated in a statement on Wednesday.