Lithuanian president to meet Liberal leader in series of meetings with party leaders

VILNIUS – President Gitanas Nauseda is meeting with Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament and chairwoman of the Liberal Movement, on Friday as he continues his series of meetings with parliamentary party leaders.

Cmilyte-Nielsen says meetings with the president usually focus on current issues.

"There are all kinds of current issues. When it comes to coalitions, I have repeatedly said that shaping them before the election is, in my opinion, a mistake. Which coalitions matter will become clear when people go to the polls," she said on the eve of the meeting.

The speaker of the parliament said she believes that it would be more rational to hold such meetings after the elections.

Both the Liberal Movement leader and other members of the ruling coalition think that by meeting with party leaders and kicking off the cycle with opposition parties, the president is interfering in the campaign for October's parliamentary election.

Earlier this week, Nauseda met with Vilija Blinkeviciute, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, Ramunas Karbauskis, leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, and Saulius Skvernelis, leader of the Democratic Union "For Lithuania". 

The Liberal Movement currently has 12 seats in the parliament. 

Lithuania will elect its new parliament on October 13.

A Spinter Tyrimai poll commissioned by Delfi showed this week that 6.3 percent of voters would support the Liberal Movement in the election.