Misplaced Pages

Tenth Seimas

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The Tenth Seimas of Lithuania was a parliament ( Seimas ) elected in Lithuania . Elections took place on 12 October 2008, with the run-off on 26 October. The Seimas commenced its work on 17 November 2008 and served a four-year term, with the last session on 14 November 2012.

#666333

29-465: In the elections in 2008, 70 members of the parliament were elected on proportional party lists and 71 in single member constituencies. Elections took place on 12 October 2008. Run-off elections were held on 26 October in the single-seat constituencies where no candidate secured a seat in the first round. Homeland Union was the largest party in the Tenth Seimas and formed a coalition government with

58-600: A party statute was also approved in the conference, its registration by the Ministry of Justice was frozen, as the Liberal Movement , which controlled the ministry, allegedly sought to hasten the disintegration of TPP and bring its members to their party. Around the same time, the party drew closer to the Liberal and Centre Union and signed an agreement of parliamentary group cooperation to increase their weight in

87-466: A referendum in 2012. Several members of the Tenth Seimas were indicted for various offences, but only one was impeached and removed from office. Linas Karalius lost his mandate after taking a vacation while the Seimas was in session and having another member of the parliament, Aleksandras Sacharukas, vote in his name. Sacharucas was also indicted but narrowly won the impeachment vote. After the elections,

116-541: The Liberal and Centre Union and the Liberal Movement joined in a centre-right "Coalition for Change" ( Lithuanian : Permainų koalicija ), which formed the Kubilius Cabinet II . According to the coalition agreement , Valinskas was to be elected Speaker of the Seimas , but he was only elected after a second vote, becoming the first Speaker of the Seimas in Lithuanian history to not be elected on

145-530: The Seimas Palace in a protest that soon turned violent. In the energy sector, the Seimas dissolved the energy holding company LEO LT that was expected to build the new Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant . However, the parliament approved a different project to build the power plant, with the Japanese company Hitachi as a strategic investor. The proposal failed to win an approval from Lithuanian voters in

174-486: The Ten Commandments without any commitment to policy: It has been described as a personalist party of Arūnas Valinskas, with no political positions of its own. In 2009, the party adopted a new program, which defined it as a party of the centre that "reconciles the left-wing principle of equality and the right-wing principle of liberty". It affirmed its support for dual citizenship , returning sovereignty to

203-691: The Christian Party merged with the Labour Party in 2013, while the Liberal and Centre Union merged with YES (itself a split from the LiCS) in 2014 and ultimately with the Order and Justice party to form Freedom and Justice in 2020. The TPP has been described as a centre , centre-right or populist political party. Its program in the 2008 Lithuanian parliamentary election was a word play on

232-558: The LiCS. In April 2010, Remigijus Vilkaitis was expelled from the party and it delegated Valinskas as their candidate for Minister of Culture, but, after the candidate was criticized by the President, it delegated Arūnas Gelūnas  [ lt ] instead. TPP and LiCS announced their full merger on 22 September 2011, and it was completed on 10 December. A new program was drafted which affirmed commitment to responsible liberalism and

261-467: The Lithuanian public, it only won 3 additional seats in the second round of the single-member constituency elections. Before the 2008 parliamentary election, the party announced its interest to work with any parties except the Labour Party and Order and Justice , which Valinskas described as threats to national security. However, after the election, the TPP, Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats ,

290-496: The Seimas (MSNG). In Summer 2009, the National Resurrection Party parliamentary group, which had been part of the ruling coalition, split into "One Lithuania" (FVL, Lithuanian : Frakcija Viena Lietuva ) and Oak (ĄF, Lithuanian : Ąžuolo Frakcija ) parliamentary groups. The former eventually former Christian Party (KPF) parliamentary group, while the latter joined with the Liberal and Centre Union. By

319-513: The Seimas. Valinskas refused to resign, in spite of pressure from coalition partners. On 15 September, the Seimas removed him from the position with 95 members voting in favor, and 20 against. Irena Degutienė was elected as the next Speaker. After the vote, the "Oak" Parliamentary Group adopted the name National Resurrection Party Group, whereas the former National Resurrection Party Group renamed itself to Parliamentary Group "One Lithuania" ( Lithuanian : Frakcija "Viena Lietuva" ). It entered

SECTION 10

#1732780123667

348-680: The Seimas. The Seimas approved the leader of the Homeland Union Andrius Kubilius as the Prime Minister. Kubilius led the Government throughout the term. The term of the Tenth Seimas was plagued by the Great Recession and the busting of the housing bubble. The Seimas and the Government responded with a wide-ranging tax reform, changing over 60 laws in the final days of 2008, including increasing

377-433: The TPP parliamentary group, including chairman of the group Laimontas Dinius  [ lt ] , from the party. Dinius, in response, called for an emergency session of the party presidium on the removal of Valinskas from the party. Valinskas' decision to remove four members of the party was ignored, and they, alongside the rest of the party's parliamentary group, left the party on their own accord on 13 August. Around

406-632: The VAT rate and eliminating exceptions for certain products and services, increasing the corporate income tax rate, excise taxes of fuel, cigarettes and alcohol, and lowering the personal income tax rate. Due to its rushed nature the reform was much-criticized by experts and tax payers and many of the laws were later adjusted. The reforms, together with the economic crisis and severe austerity measures, including cuts to public-sector salaries and pensions, brought about widespread dissatisfaction and protests. On 16 January 2009, more than 7,000 people gathered in front of

435-594: The coalition against the Homeland Union. The internal conflict in the party and its perceived inability to government severely impacted its ratings. In the 2009 European Parliament election in Lithuania , the party received only 1.04% of the vote and no mandates. After the election, the party considered leaving the coalition, and opponents of Valinskas gained the upper hand in the party's parliamentary group and central leadership. On 15 July, seven members of

464-507: The end of the term of the Seimas, the following parliamentary groups were active. A total of 154 members served on the Tenth Seimas. National Resurrection Party The National Resurrection Party ( Lithuanian : Tautos prisikėlimo partija ; sometimes translated as Rising Nation Party or National Revival Party ) was a short-lived political party in Lithuania . In the 2008 Lithuanian parliamentary election , it became one of

493-410: The first vote. As the vote was secret, it is unknown which members of the coalition protested. The TPP nominated Vice-Mayor of Neringa Municipality Arūnas Burkšas for Minister of Environment and actor and former leader of the "Eaters of Bread" Party ( Lithuanian : Duonos valgytojų partija ) Remigijus Vilkaitis for Minister of Culture . While Vilkaitis was accepted, the nomination of Burkšas

522-569: The largest parties in the Tenth Seimas of Lithuania , but quickly lost popularity, disintegrated and merged with the Liberal and Centre Union in 2011. Arūnas Valinskas , Lithuanian producer and media personality, first announced the idea of forming a party for "resurrection" in April 2008. It was registered in June of the same year. Valinskas was elected as the leader of the party and served as

551-415: The leader for the entirety of its existence. From the beginning, the TPP was described as a "showmen's party", as many of its initial members were TV personalities and representatives of the media industry, much like Valinskas himself. Many of the figures included in the party's electoral list were personally connected to Valinskas - including his wife Inga Valinskienė  [ lt ] , as well as

580-614: The manager of his company "A. Valinsko tvenkiniai". Saulius Stoma  [ lt ] , who later joined the party, claimed that Valinskas was connected with the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and the Maxima Group . At the election of 12 October 2008 to the Seimas , the party won 15.09% of the popular vote and 13 seats in the first round. However, in spite of fielding numerous media personalities known to

609-799: The opposition and merged with the Christian Conservative Social Union and the Lithuanian Party of Christian Democracy in January 2010 to form the Christian Party . After the loss of the Christian Party deputies, the remaining members of the TPP began preparing for a merger with the Liberal and Centre Union, and formed a joint group in the Seimas. Initially, the Liberal Movement was also considered for unification, but it refused to merge with

SECTION 20

#1732780123667

638-663: The parliamentary groups were formed in the Seimas, largely on the party lines: Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDPF), Labour Party (DPF), Liberal and Centre Union (LCSF), Liberal Movement (LSF), Order and Justice (FTT, also included members of the Electoral Action of the Poles in Lithuania), Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TSLKDF), National Resurrection Party (TPPF) and the Mixed Group of Members of

667-472: The party's intent to represent a "third way" in Lithuanian politics. Some members (e. g. Rokas Žilinskas ) joined the Homeland Union instead. Almost all members of the Seimas elected on the party's list in 2008 were not reelected in the 2012 Lithuanian parliamentary election . Both the Christian Party and the Liberal and Centre Union won no seats in the election, and merged into different parties -

696-410: The party's parliamentary group who supported the chairman and Speaker of the Seimas, including Valinskas himself, suspended their membership and formed the "Oak" Parliamentary Group ( Lithuanian : Ąžuolo frakcija ). As a result, the party's parliamentary group withdrew its confidence on its own ministers and threatened with departure from the coalition. In response, Valinskas removed four members of

725-440: The party. Valinskas stalled the adoption of a party statute, fearing that it would reduce his control of the party. Opposition within the party also criticized the arrogant attitude of Minister Remigijus Vilkaitis. Regardless, Valinskas was reelected as chairman of the party without opposition in a party conference on 15 March, which also approved a list of the party's candidates for the 2009 European Parliament elections . Though

754-463: The people, and free-market economics . The concluding sentences of the program invoked both God and the Kantian categorical imperative , asking for their support. During the campaign for the 2009 European Parliament election in Lithuania , the TPP expressed its opposition to further European integration , calling for a "Europe of nations", and criticized lack of transparency in the institutions of

783-463: The populist National Resurrection Party , Liberal Movement and Liberal and Centre Union . TV producer and showman Arūnas Valinskas of the National Resurrection Party was elected the Speaker of the Seimas. Ten months later, on 15 September 2009, he was removed from office in a secret ballot and two days later was replaced by Irena Degutienė of the Homeland Union, who became the first female Speaker of

812-690: The same time, both Valinskas and Dinius were targeted by rumors - Dinius and the remaining TPP parliamentary group were accused of being influenced by businessman Gediminas Žiemelis , who pushed for the group to claim the Ministry of Transport and Communications to support his private interests, while Valinskas was accused of ties with "the Doctors" ( Lithuanian : Daktarai ), an organized crime ring in Kaunas , led by Henrikas Daktaras  [ lt ] . In light of these rumors, President Dalia Grybauskaitė demanded Valinskas' resignation from Speaker of

841-503: Was highly controversial due to his approval of numerous illegal constructions in the Curonian Spit , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a national park , and was blocked by Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius . Eventually, Gediminas Kazlauskas  [ lt ] was nominated instead. The first signs of the party's collapse came in early 2009, due to protests from the party membership over Valinskas' authoritarian leadership in

#666333