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Dawn of Nemunas

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Political Party "Dawn of Nemunas"
Politinė partija "Nemuno Aušra"
Abbreviationoff. PPNA[1]
inf. NA[dubious – discuss][2]
ChairpersonRemigijus Žemaitaitis[3]
FounderRemigijus Žemaitaitis
Founded11 November 2023 (2023-11-11)
Registered16 January 2024 (2024-01-16)
Split fromFreedom and Justice
Membership (2024)2,296
Ideology
Political positionFiscal: Centre-left[10]
Social: Right-wing[11]
Colours  Orange
  Brown
Seimas
20 / 141
European Parliament
0 / 12
Municipal councils
7 / 1,461
Mayors
0 / 60
Website
nemunoaušra.lt
Dawn of Nemunas received a plurality of votes in the southern parts of Samogitia and Lithuania Minor in the 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election

The Political Party "Dawn of Nemunas" (Lithuanian: Politinė partija "Nemuno Aušra"),[12] often shortened simply as Dawn of Nemunas or Nemunas Dawn (Lithuanian: Nemuno aušra), is a populist and nationalist[18] political party in Lithuania. It was founded in November 2023 by Remigijus Žemaitaitis after his expulsion from the Freedom and Justice party due to his antisemitic statements. In June 2024, the party gained representation in the Seimas after three MPs joined; one formerly of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and two formerly of the Labour Party.[19]

Ideological classifications of the party differ. On social issues, Dawn of Nemunas has often been described as right-wing,[21] while on economic issues it has often been described as centre-left.[10] The party characterizes itself as centre-left.[22][23]

History

[edit]

Background

[edit]

In May 2023, Remigijus Žemaitaitis published antisemitic comments on Facebook, in which he claimed that “the Jews and Russians” oppressed ethnic Lithuanians during the Second World War and were responsible for the 1944 massacre of the village of Pirčiupiai.[24][25] The comments were received with harsh criticism and condemnation from Lithuanian politicians, the Lithuanian Jewish community and numerous ambassadors to Lithuania. Žemaitaitis later claimed that his comments were targeted towards Israel and claimed that he would support a death sentence for Benjamin Netanyahu for his actions against Palestinians. The office of the Prosecutor General launched an ongoing investigation to Žemaitaitis' actions.[26] On 19 May 2023 Freedom and Justice terminated Žemaitaitis's membership in the party, and Artūras Paulauskas became the party's interim chairman.[27]

Foundation

[edit]

On 11 November 2023, Remigijus Žemaitaitis announced the creation of a political party under the name Dawn of Nemunas, named after the country’s largest river and the country’s first newspaper Aušra, major symbol of the 19th century Lithuanian National Revival.[28][29] He also said that his party plans to take part in all elections held in 2024 and nominate its own presidential candidate. Earlier, Žemaitaitis said that he had gathered 3,164 people to create the party, of which 2,950 participated at the founding convention.[29] He also claimed that most of the Freedom and Justice faction have joined the new political force.[29]

The party was registered on 16 January 2024. The party had 2,296 inaugural members during the registration.[30] Around that time, Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė asked the parliament to strip Žemaitaitis of his legal immunity, stating that the pre-trial investigation suggests that Žemaitaitis “publicly ridiculed, expressed contempt for, and incited hatred against a group of people of Jewish nationality”,[31] after which the politician announced bid for presidency as the candidate of Dawn of Nemunas. He resigned from Seimas on 2 May, after the Constitutional Court of Lithuania ruled towards his impeachment.[32] Žemaitaitis finished in fourth place in the presidential election, receiving 9.21% of the vote in the first round held on 12 May.[33]

Agnė Širinskienė, former member of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, and Aidas Gedvilas and Artūras Skardžius, formerly from the Labour Party, joined Dawn of Nemunas on 19 June 2024. With Žemaitaitis' previous resignation from parliament, this increased the party's representation to 3 Members of the Seimas.[34][19]

In July 2024, polls showed that about 36.5% of voters would consider voting for the party. Supporters of the Labour Party, Lithuanian Regions Party and Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union were most likely to view Žemaitaitis favorably. Žemaitaitis was also viewed favorably by a large percentage of voters from centre-left parties and around a fifth of Liberals' Movement voters, while supporters of the centre-right Homeland Union were least likely to support him.[35] In August, the party's polling surpassed 10%, overtaking the ruling Homeland Union.[36]

2024 parliamentary election

[edit]

Ahead of the 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė of the Homeland Union and President Gitanas Nausėda warned parties against forming a coalition with Dawn of Nemunas due to Žemaitaitis' antisemitic statements. TS-LKD leader Gabrielius Landsbergis urged other parties to form a cordon sanitaire against it.[37] After the president's warnings, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP), which had initially viewed Dawn of Nemunas as a potential partner after elections, ruled out forming a coalition with the party.[38]

The election was held in two rounds on 13 and 27 October 2024. Dawn of Nemunas came in third place overall in the election, receiving about 15% of the vote and securing 20 seats in parliament.[39] On 7 November, the Social Democrats backtracked from their earlier position, and invited Dawn of Nemunas, along with the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" political party, to form a ruling coalition.[40][41] On 8 November, the New York Times published an article about the political party, focusing largely on Žemaitaitis' reputation for antisemitism.[42][43] The same day, over thirty non-governmental organizations based in Lithuania signed an open letter to the Social Democrats against allowing Dawn of Nemunas in the government, stating that the party's inclusion would harm human rights, democracy, and national security, as well as the country's international reputation.[41][44] On 8 November, United States Senator Ben Cardin, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also released a statement condemning the decision.[45][46] Further criticism came from German MPs Roderich Kiesewetter and Michael Roth,[47] Polish senator Michał Kamiński,[48] and the Israeli embassy.[49]

Both Remigijus Žemaitaitis and LSDP deputy chair and presumptive Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas claimed that the foreign outcry had been instigated by their political opponents.[50][51] Paluckas also stated that Žemaitaitis would not hold a cabinet position.[52]

Ideology

[edit]

Dawn of Nemunas describes itself as a centre-left,[22][23] classical liberal, and Christian party.[53] The party's leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, proposed forming a "centre-left" coalition without the Homeland Union.[54][55] According to Žemaitaitis, the party leans "centre-left on social issues related to people’s wellbeing", but is "on the right when it comes to what makes statehood – our language, culture and national identity".[14]

The party has been described as populist.[57] According to political scientist Virgis Valentinavičius, Žemaitaitis deliberately invokes common antisemitic tropes such as "Jewish parasites" to attract poorly educated voters.[13] Europe Elects describes the party as right-wing.[8] In November 2023, shortly after the party was founded, Delfi described it as centre-right.[20] The party was described in 2024 by political scientist Vladimiras Laučius as nationalist,[7] by Deutsche Welle as right-wing nationalist,[6] and by bne Intellinews as radical right.[14] The party has also been described as centre-left,[10] or as combining economically left-wing and socially right-wing policies.[58][59] Linas Kojala, director of the Eastern Europe Studies Centre think tank, said "it's very hard to describe what kind of ideology they represent and where they stand on the scale of left to right."[60]

Economically, the party holds some left-wing positions.[61] It supports the establishment of a state-owned bank and a road fund, granting tax breaks to large families, and taking state control of the shares of state-owned energy holding company Ignitis. Conversely, it rejects the European Union’s "green" agricultural programs and supports concessions for small and medium-sized businesses.[62] It supports halting reforms in education for four years and auditing the reorganization of the network of schools and health care institutions. Dawn of Nemunas' program states that Lithuania’s foreign policy must first serve Lithuania's own security and the interests of its citizens. The party does not directly reject aid for Ukraine, although Žemaitaitis has said that Lithuania should be able to trade with Russia if other Western nations do.[62] It pledges to not raise value added taxes to finance national defense.[34]

Election results

[edit]

Seimas

[edit]
Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Government
2024 Remigijus Žemaitaitis 186,305 15.26 (#3)
20 / 141
 Increase 20 Coalition

References

[edit]
  1. ^
  2. ^
  3. ^ "Leista registruoti Žemaitaičio vadovaujamą partiją "Nemuno aušra"". LRT (in Lithuanian). 10 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Litauen: Sozialdemokraten liegen nach erstem Wahlgang vorn". Deutsche Welle (in German). 14 October 2024. Sie konnte im Endspurt die erstmals angetretene populistische Partei Morgenröte von Nemunas, die 15,0 Prozent erhielt, noch überflügeln.
  5. ^ "Litauische Sozialdemokraten gewinnen erste Runde der Parlamentswahlen". Euronews (in German). 14 October 2024. Die neu gegründete populistische Partei Morgenröte von Nemunas erreichte 15,0 Prozent.
  6. ^ a b c Eggert, Konstantin (26 May 2024). "Lithuanian President Nauseda: A socialist and moralist". dw.com. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Vladimiras Laučius. Paskutiniai rinkimai Landsbergio partijai". 15min. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Lithuania". Europe Elects. 14 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  9. ^ "R. Žemaitaitis: Lietuva galėtų taikyti griežtesnę migrantų atstūmimo praktiką", iq.lt, 24 April 2024
  10. ^ a b c
    • Jursevičiu, Deividas (14 October 2024). "LRT forume – Žemaitaičio ir Šimonytės ginčas: aš tikrai ne egzamine ir jūs ne prokuroras" (in Lithuanian). Konservatorių lyderę stebina, kodėl „Nemuno aušra" yra priskiriama centro kairei.
    • Mietelski, Maurycy (11 October 2024). "Populista zadecyduje o litewskim rządzie". Portal Spraw Zagranicznych (in Polish). „Świt Niemna" (NA) według sondaży może liczyć na trzecie miejsce, ciesząc się poparciem między 11 a 16 proc. (…) NA jest partią centrolewicową w kwestiach ekonomicznych oraz prawicową aksjologicznie, a więc kładącą nacisk na wzmacnianie litewskiej tożsamości i kultury narodowej. [‘Dawn of Nemunas’ (NA), according to polls, can count on third place, enjoying support between 11 and 16 per cent. (…) NA is a centre-left party on economic issues and right-wing axiologically, i.e. emphasising the strengthening of Lithuanian national identity and culture.]
    • "Socialdemócratas lideran el recuento en Lituania con ascenso de partido populista". SWI swissinfo (in Spanish). Riga. 13 October 2024. El Partido Socialdemócrata (LSDP) encabeza el recuento de las elecciones generales que se celebraron este domingo en Lituania, las primeras desde la invasión rusa de Ucrania y en las que destaca el ascenso de un nuevo partido populista de izquierda, Nuevo Amanecer, considerado prorruso por algunos observadores. [The Social Democratic Party (LSDP) is leading the count in Lithuania's general election on Sunday, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which saw the rise of a new left-wing populist party, Nemunas' Dawn, considered by some observers to be pro-Russian.]
    • "Los socialdemócratas lideran el recuento de las elecciones en Lituania, con ascenso de un nuevo partido populista". RTVE (in Spanish). 13 October 2024. El Partido Socialdemócrata (LSDP) encabeza el recuento de las elecciones generales que se han celebrado este domingo en Lituania, las primeras desde la invasión rusa de Ucrania, en las que destaca el ascenso de un nuevo partido populista de izquierda, Nuevo Amanecer, considerado prorruso por algunos observadores. [The Social Democratic Party (LSDP) is leading the count in Lithuania's general election, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which saw the rise of a new left-wing populist party, Nemunas' Dawn, considered by some observers to be pro-Russian.]
  11. ^
  12. ^ "Lietuvos Respublikos politinių partijų sąrašas" (PDF) (in Lithuanian). Ministry of Justice (Lithuania). 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Kirkilaitė, Goda (16 August 2024). "Kylant R. Žemaitaičio reitingams, naujokai veržiasi į priekį: ciniškas, bet labai efektyvus projektas" (in Lithuanian).
  14. ^ a b c d e Jegelevicius, Linas (8 October 2024). "PROFILE: Remigijus Zemaitaitis, Lithuania's new radical-right leader". bne IntelliNews. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  15. ^ a b "General Elections 2024 Lithuania". Robert Schuman Foundation (in French). 17 September 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b Sharp, Alexandra (11 October 2024). "Beirut Suffers Deadliest Israeli Attack This Year". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 12 October 2024. However, both main parties have ruled out any alliance that includes the populist Nemunas Dawn, which is polling at 12 percent and whose leader has been accused of promoting antisemitism.
  17. ^ a b Sytas, Andrius (10 October 2024). "Lithuania's election: Which parties could form the next government?". Reuters. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  18. ^ [13][14][15][16][17]
  19. ^ a b Lyberytė, Augustė (19 June 2024). "A. Širinskienė nusprendė stoti į R. Žemaitaičio partiją: prie "Nemuno aušros" jungiasi dar du Seimo nariai". jp.lt (in Lithuanian).
  20. ^ a b "Žemaitaitis pateikė dokumentus partijos "Nemuno aušra" steigimui". Delfi (in Lithuanian). 22 November 2023. Kaip Eltai teigė R. Žemaitaitis, naujasis darinys ketina dalyvauti visuose 2024 m. vyksiančiuose rinkimuose. Į juos, akcentavo politikas, centro dešinei priklausanti jėga eis raginimais atsigręžti į Lietuvos regionus.
  21. ^ [6][8][14][20]
  22. ^ a b "Remigijus Žemaitaitis pareiškė, kas pasikeistų jį išrinkus: "Šimonytė Vyriausybėje nebedirbtų"". TV3 naujienos (in Lithuanian). 5 August 2024. Kitas dalykas – kai rudenį vyks Seimo rinkimai, man labai svarbu, kad „Nemuno aušra", kairioji politinė grupė, galėtų formuoti valdančiąją daugumą. [Another thing is that when the Seimas elections take place in the autumn, it is very important for me that „Nemuno aušra“, a leftist political group, is able to form a ruling majority.]
  23. ^ a b "Partijos "Nemuno Aušra" Valdyba apibrėžė rinkimų programos kryptis ir diskutavo dėl Koalicijos". nemunoaušra.lt (in Lithuanian). Dawn of Nemunas. 4 July 2024. "Tuo tarpu centro-kairiąsias jėgas matytume kaip galimus bendradarbius. Save pozicionuojame taip pat šioje politinio spektro pusėje." – teigia partijos „Nemuno aušra" rinkimų štabo vadovas R. Puchovič.
  24. ^ Andrukaitytė, Milena (14 February 2024). "Lithuanian MP Žemaitaitis stripped of immunity over anti-Semitic posts".
  25. ^ "Istorikas apie Pirčiupių žudynes: nežinau, iš kur Žemaitaitis traukė, kad tai padarė žydai", lrt.lt, 30 September 2024
  26. ^ Canaan, Lidor. "Lithuanian lawmaker in hot water after quoting song urging kids to kill Jews". Times of Israel.
  27. ^ „Laisvė ir teisingumas“ stabdo Žemaitaičio narystę partijoje
  28. ^ Geštautas, Alvydas (17 November 2023). "K. Bilius – kuriamos partijos Nemuno aušra vicepirmininkas". BIČIULIS (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  29. ^ a b c "R.Žemaitaitis patvirtintas naujai įkurtos partijos "Nemuno aušra" pirmininku". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  30. ^ Rekvizitai.lt. "Nemuno Aušra". Rekvizitai.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  31. ^ "MP Žemaitaitis, accused of anti-Semitism, to run for Lithuanian president". lrt.lt. 22 January 2024.
  32. ^ Skėrytė, Jūratė (2 May 2024). "Lithuanian MP Žemaitaitis stripped of mandate". LRT. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  33. ^ "2024 m. gegužės 12 d. Respublikos Prezidento rinkimai (I turas)". Central Election Commission. 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  34. ^ a b Klimaševska, Ūla (28 July 2024). "Partiją "Nemuno aušra" į Seimą ves jos įkūrėjas Žemaitaitis: patvirtintas kandidatų sąrašas ir rinkimų programa". Delfi (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Kas rinktų R. Žemaitaitį Seimo rinkimuose?" (in Lithuanian). 5 August 2024.
  36. ^ Vaišvilaitė-Braziulienė, Justina (8 August 2024). "Ex-MP Žemaitaitis' party overtakes TS-LKD in opinion poll". delfi.lt.
  37. ^ "Lithuanian FM calls for 'cordon sanitaire' to block radicals from power". LRT. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  38. ^ Seputyte, Milda (13 September 2024). "Antisemitism Scandal Alarms Lithuanian Leaders Ahead of Election". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  39. ^ "Rezultatai - Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo rinkimai 2024". rinkimai.maps.lt (in Lithuanian). Data listed under 'II turas', 'Bendri balsavimo rezultatai'. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  40. ^ "Social Democrats invite two parties to form Lithuania's ruling coalition". lrt.lt. 7 November 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Lithuanian civil society calls to exclude 'anti-Semitic' party from ruling coalition". lrt.lt. 8 November 2024.
  42. ^ Higgins, Andrew (8 November 2024). "Party Whose Leader Is Known for Antisemitism to Join Lithuanian Government". New York Times.
  43. ^ ""New York Times" apie Lietuvą: partija, žinoma dėl lyderio antisemitizmo, bus valdžioje". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 8 November 2024.
  44. ^ "Atviras Lietuvos pilietinių organizacijų kreipimasis į Lietuvos socialdemokratų partiją" (PDF). manoteises.lt (in Lithuanian). 8 November 2024.
  45. ^ "Chair Cardin Statement Decrying Lithuania's Governing Coalition with the Nemunas Party". United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. 8 November 2024.
  46. ^ Šemelis, Augustinas (9 November 2024). "JAV Senatas smerkia Lietuvos koalicijos dėlionę". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian).
  47. ^ "Bundestago narys sako, kad LSDP draugystė su Žemaitaičiu kenksminga: esame susirūpinę". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 9 November 2024.
  48. ^ "Lenkijos Senato vicepirmininkas nerimauja dėl "antisemitinės Vyriausybės"". LRT.lt (in Lithuanian). 9 November 2024.
  49. ^ "Izraelio ambasada: antisemitai neturėtų priklausyti jokiai svarbiai politinei jėgai". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 9 November 2024.
  50. ^ Šilobritas, Žygimantas (9 November 2024). "Žemaitaitis: užsienio politikų reakcijas sukurstė politiniai oponentai". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian).
  51. ^ Samoškaitė, Eglė (9 November 2024). "Paluckas mano, kad tarptautinė kritika dėl Žemaitaičio – oponentų ryšių pasekmė". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian).
  52. ^ Pikelytė, Martyna (9 November 2024). "Paluckas: ministrų kabinete Žemaitaičio nebus". lrt.lt (in Lithuanian).
  53. ^ "LAISVAS ŽMOGUS – ATVIRA VISUOMENĖ – STIPRI VALSTYBĖ". nemunoausra.online (in Lithuanian). Dawn of Nemunas. Nemuno aušra savo politinę veiklą grindžia liberalizmo principais, kylančiais iš klasikinės ir Naujųjų laikų politinės filosofijos tradicijos bei krikščioniškoje kultūroje susiformavusios asmens ir bendrojo gėrio sampratos. Individo laisvė mums yra pagrindinė vertybė. Tik laisvas žmogus gali būti visavertis visuomenės narys. Tačiau būtina šios laisvės sąlyga – asmens atsakomybė, atsakomybė bendruomenei, savo šaliai.
  54. ^ Klimaševska, Ūla (28 July 2024). "Partiją "Nemuno aušra" į Seimą ves jos įkūrėjas Žemaitaitis: patvirtintas kandidatų sąrašas ir rinkimų programa" (in Lithuanian).
  55. ^ Broga, Karolis (9 October 2024). "Leader of Nemunas Dawn expects to be part of centre-left coalition". Delfi EN (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  56. ^ Samoškaitė, Eglė (9 September 2024). "Sneering at Israel, swearing at elites: behind the rise of Lithuania's wildcard politician". lrt.lt. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  57. ^ [13][14][15][16][17][56]
  58. ^ "Litauen biegt sanft nach links ab, bleibt der Ukraine aber treu". Der Standard (in German). 15 October 2024. Die nach dem litauischen Namen des Flusses Memel benannte Gruppierung, deren Chef Remigijus Žemaitaitis mehrfach durch revisionistische und wüst antisemitische Aussagen aufgefallen ist, verbindet Elemente linker Wirtschaftspolitik mit einem sonst rechtspopulistischen Programm. [The party, named after the Lithuanian name for the river Memel, whose leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis has repeatedly attracted attention with revisionist and wildly anti-Semitic statements, combines elements of left-wing economic policy with a right-wing populist programme.]
  59. ^ Mietelski, Maurycy (11 October 2024). "Populista zadecyduje o litewskim rządzie". Portal Spraw Zagranicznych (in Polish). „Świt Niemna" (NA) według sondaży może liczyć na trzecie miejsce, ciesząc się poparciem między 11 a 16 proc. (…) NA jest partią centrolewicową w kwestiach ekonomicznych oraz prawicową aksjologicznie, a więc kładącą nacisk na wzmacnianie litewskiej tożsamości i kultury narodowej. [‘Dawn of Nemunas’ (NA), according to polls, can count on third place, enjoying support between 11 and 16 per cent. (…) NA is a centre-left party on economic issues and right-wing axiologically, i.e. emphasising the strengthening of Lithuanian national identity and culture.]
  60. ^ Kaiser, Julia (14 October 2024). "Lithuanian Social Democrats win election first round". The Parliament Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  61. ^ Eggert, Konstantin (12 October 2024). "Kreml-Propaganda bei den Wahlen in Litauen?". Deutsche Welle (in German). Ihr Programm gibt sich vielseitig. Einerseits vertritt sie linke Positionen wie Steuervorteile für kinderreiche Familien, die Schaffung einer mächtigen Staatsbank sowie Preisregulierungen bei Strom und Gas.
  62. ^ a b Eggert, Konstantin (12 October 2024). "Kreml-Propaganda bei den Wahlen in Litauen?". dw.com (in German). Retrieved 14 October 2024.
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