Happy New Year my dears, who want to understand what is going on. Year 2014 for a state of Lithuania can be compared to a year 1940. Am I exaggerating? Let us consider things together. In a New Year show on LRT we have seen expressive faces of those who have sold Lithuania – they had in their hands 10 Euro notes we have borrowed from Germany and did not know what to do with them. We haven’t seen though main minister of this foreign will – our President. After her statement concerning will of our people in 2012 Referendum she is used to have clean hands. Our entering into euro-zone was openly commented by a Prime-minister of Greece – he expressed his gratitude that we have entered euro-zone and providing thus help to Greece. To Greece, that is not planning to start economizing and has received support of more than 240 billion Euro. These debts are useful for taking control over Greece.
After New Year our Finance minister admitted that Lithuanian budget for 2015 is untenable and is to be revised. Germany obviously will not oppose to seceding of Greece from euro-zone, because practically it is inevitable. The question is – does it mean seceding from EU as well? And UK has pronounced about an early Referendum on EU membership. Don’t you feel cheated?
Pro-euro propaganda was only slogans without any arguments. Well reasoned was only one issue – to calculate the prices correctly. Our President, boasting about intellect and computer programs, created in Lithuania, and executors of her will could understand that this could be easily done by cash-registers, without their reasoning, control and hundreds of millions spent. Expense of bringing euro to Lithuania – up to 0.92 billion Lt. It hurts to see this rush and that our citizens are forced to empty their pockets in two weeks. This is a mockery.
State, protecting foreign currency, is condemned to fall. Further we will consider lost savings and sovereignty. First of all I would like to diffuse an optical illusion used by government – litas was pegged to Euro, so euro adoption will change nothing. The President, Seimas and Government do not want to give publicity to conclusions of experts of International Monetary Fund made in May 2010 on different situation in new EU Member States during 2008-2009 economical crisis. One of the reasons why Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia suffered less (in Poland economy was even growing) is that they didn’t have euro and didn’t let foreign currency payments inside the country. In 2006 Poland limited borrowing in foreign currency by law. It could be done freely if the loan was for 2 or 3 years. If it was up to 5 years, an approval of special state institution had to be obtained. If the loan was for more than 5 years, the obligations had to be done only in local currency, zloty. This naturally frightened away wildcatters who did not want to take long term risks in Polish currency. This preventive measure not only helped to avoid loaning of Polish state to foreign commercial banks, but let to the State and not only to the State to borrow from local habitants and companies, not to pay artificially high interest rates. We all remember D. Grybauskaitė’s and A. Kubilius’ principles of borrowing from foreign banks, we can compare it to Latvia’s borrowing from IMF. Also we had to turn to the other side – to learn from Polish economists and Government who manage well the control of state’s finances and economy. Pegging litas to US dollar, then pegging it to euro in amatory way was a confession of weakness, made by contemporary Lithuanian Government, manifest of their fear to take responsibility of state governance. It is easier to serve others. But what was obediently and unconditionally done by Lithuanian Government in 2014 exceeded all the expectations of EU federalists.
Let us consider this forced adoption of euro in the language of facts. Then you can decide what has happened in Lithuania in 2014 on your own.
When EU affair managers failed to force Member States to accept common Constitution of the EU, they have chosen the way of deceit and lie – to replace the Constitution of federal state with inter-state treaties, to “bypass” the Constitutions of the countries with the help of heads and Parliament members of Member States, to ignore the opinion of the people. After signing the Treaty of Lisbon, amending the Constitution of the EU, without asking the opinion of people, our President D. Grybauskaitė signed also Decision of European Council 2011/199/EU (25 March 2011) and with a President Decree No 1K-825 of 26 September 2011 proposed to Seimas to ratify a change in the Treaty of Lisbon – complement Article 136 with a part 3. On 12 June 2012 Seimas (81 placet, 8 non-valid votes) ratified this complement (Project No XIP-3638(2)). By this change it was agreed to establish European Stability Mechanism – a fund of 700 billion euro, covering only a part of all 4000 billion euro-zone state problems. Membership in ESM is obligatory only for euro-zone members.
The excuse of the Government that we have decided it ourselves in the referendum of 10-11 May 2003 is not serious. Firstly, we have voted only to express our opinion about entering the EU. Secondly, we did not vote for Treaty of Accession. Seimas did not even have the official Lithuanian translation. To renounce our sovereignty, the requirements of LR constitutional Law “On Lithuanian state” of 11 February 1991 should be fulfilled – attitude that Lithuania is independent democratic state can be changed only with placets of ¾ of all electors. For this principle, but not for the Treaty, voted only 57% of electors, not 75%. That’s why our Constitution was not replaced in this part. Thirdly, there is no prefigure of obligatory adoption of the euro in the Treaty of Accession – Article 4 reads that each of the new Member States shall participate in Economic and Monetary Union from the date of accession. United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Croatia are members of this Union with their own currency and they are not thrown away from EU. Countries that have signed Accession Treaty in 2003 (Lithuania, Poland, Hungary are among them) did not express their opinion about this, and there is still no agreement of our people which is obligatory according to LR Constitutional Law “On Lithuanian state” of 11 February 1991. Fourthly, in Accession Treaty or in Treaty of Lisbon there is no agreement about euro adoption date and other conditions. If the state passes the requirements of Maastricht Treaty for adoption of euro, it doesn’t mean that state is obliged to do this, it only has a right to do it. Not one EU member state, except ours, keeps the criteria of Maastricht.
One more instrument of our anti-constitutional subjugation – Protocol on the Statue of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank of 26 October 2012.
ESCB not only defines and implements the monetary policy of the Community, but also holds and manages the official foreign reserves of the Member States. The governments of Member States have the right only to the holding and management of foreign-exchange working balances. Bank of Lithuania receives for it’s demands, that is to gain money from investment, only the sum appointed by Council of ECB. In this Council we have only one representative, until Member State number reaches 21. Audit of ESCB and ECB is done only by Audit enterprises proposed by ECB and confirmed by Council. No one can change a principle of governing, unless the Council decides otherwise. Work of ECB and ESCB is confidential, unless the Council decides to publicize it. ESCB is controlled by ECB. This institution is independent from EU institutions and bodies, governments of Member States commit not to make any influence on ECB and their subordinates. Even so called heads of National Banks or members of decision making bodies of National Central Banks can be arraigned only by ECB. And this justice will be done only by European Court of Justice.
Let us forget our law and hopes to judge a head of Bank of Lithuania V. Vasiliauskas who has gained the highest juridical immunity in Lithuania on 1 January. Now he can freely fulfill his own publicly declared principle – moral and ethics are not dimensions of this world. Even our President doesn’t have such an immunity – she can be impeached by Seimas. Her safety then depends only on herself – she can influence members of Seimas. V. Vasiliauskas doesn’t have to worry about this. ECB will take care of everything.
EU Directive of Monetary Politics also states that ESCB holds and manages all foreign savings of Lithuania (Article 5), and ECB gives permissions to issue the notes (Article 105a). That’s why Article 125 of our Constitution claiming that Bank of Lithuania can emit money, is a parody, and statement of our Government that we can manage our savings which covered litas even 107%, is a lie – when in the beginning of 2014 Seimas changed a Law on Bank of Lithuania and passed to Bank of Lithuania all the savings of our state, on 1 January this year they (together with Bank of Lithuania and it’s property) became a part of ESCB, controlled by ECB. By the way, when Greece entered euro-zone, currency drachma was covered only about 50%. Declaration, signed by chairman of board of Bank of Lithuania R. Šarkinas and Finance ministre A. Butkevičius, obliged to save 100% coverage of litas until entering euro-zone. And coverage was saved. President and Seimas gave it to ESCB.
On more instrument of our subjugation – Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on prudential requirements for credit institutions and investment firms and amending Regulation (EU) No 648/2012. Keeping it’s requirements and earlier mentioned obligations, illegally taken by our President, which have turned into law, accepted by Seimas, tamed by President, and was implemented by softy Government and governor of Bank of Lithuania V. Vasiliauskas, the state was sold, and it was called “obligatory” adoption of euro. In 2014 Seimas 29 times has changed Law on Bank of Lithuania. Law on the State Control was also changed (to prevent an intervention into affairs of Bank of Lithuania that no longer belongs to us). Law on Commercial Banks was also changed. Even psychological nuances were previewed – with a disproof of National inspection of Lithuanian Language Seimas confirmed non-Lithuanian use of name of this currency – not euras, but euro.
The main thing that happened by enacting these laws in Lithuania and was not refused by self-respecting euro-zone countries, their parliaments and governments, is that our Ministry of Finance, representing our Government, refused the right and responsibility to control these processes of managing our national economics, as far as they can be controlled without local currency. In this way Articles 5 (power of Government is limited by Constitution) and 94 (Government of Republic of Lithuania manages affairs of the state) of our Constitution were abused, because Government refused it’s constitutional rights, and Seimas together with foreign savings gave them to the Bank of Lithuania. Together with the Bank of Lithuania these powers went to Frankfurt am Main, that is, to supranational institution – ECB that cannot be influenced by Lithuania.
So called President of Lithuania set a veto on humble tries of so called Lithuanian Seimas to influence so called Bank of Lithuania. After President’s veto Seimas agreed that when Bank of Lithuania makes a wish or when Seimas asks, only non-confidential information from Bank of Lithuania can be obtained. But to ask for it means to know what have decided ECB or LB. According to Protocol on ECB and ESCB, they decide themselves what is confidential and what is not. Particular pieces of our sovereignty were taken away, but the mechanism of getting them back is not agreed. We are caught in a trap. Befooled. Obviously, the Greeks will be the first ones to experiment how to get out.
Can we entrust governance of our state to these softies, sellers of Lithuania – President, Seimas, Government and Bank of Lithuania?
In the end of 2014, 6 November, by proposal of President, Seimas, implementing the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in Economical and Monetary Union (“fiscal compact“) of 2 March 2012 and thus violating our Constitution, friendly enacted Constitutional Law on implementing fiscal compact (XIIP-1761). From now, when accepting budgets of Lithuania and municipalities, we will have to regard so called medium-term goals and tasks, formed by “Center” regarding Council Regulation (EC) No 1445/97 and (EC) No 1467/97. More abstract phrasing makes it easier for the “Center” to control us. We unconditionally accept everything that is told to us. When circumstances are exceptional, special procedures are foreseen. In this way budgets of our state and municipalities are controlled by “Center”. By the way, State control arrived at a conclusion that budget of Lithuania for year 2015 violates a Law on Fiscal discipline. But Seimas and President who has signed this Law doesn’t pay any attention. The “Center” hasn’t imposed any sanctions yet – let us be happy for a while about euro-membership.
Centralization of finances like that was not seen even in Soviet Union. If there was too much money collected to budget of Soviet Lithuania, it was transferred to budget of Soviet Union. If there was a lack of money in the budget of the Republic, then deficit could be covered by a turnover fee (an equivalent of VAT) collected from local Union enterprises.
Last November President of Lithuania publicly attacked Russia. We all discussed the meaning of this. Making a profit of international scandal, Mrs. D. Grybauskaitė, this time without any publicity, proposed to Seimas (by President Decree No 1K-150 of 26 November 2014) to ratify Accession Treaty to European Stability Mechanism (ESM) with all amendments (Law XIIP-2559). Seimas almost unanimously (82 placet, 1 non-placet, 1 non-valid) ratified it. What does it mean to Lithuania?
According to answer given to signatory Zigmas Vaišvila by Ministry of Finances a year ago, preliminary it means Lithuania’s obligation to pay to ESM a deposit of 318 million euro and to guarantee a payment of 2.45 billion euro by first request. These numbers are doubtful, not only because it is only an opinion of Lithuanian Ministry of Finances. According to economical data of Estonia, which in two years after joining the euro-zone doubled her state debt we will have to pay a deposit of 800 million euro and to commit to sum about 5 billion euro. In 2012 euro-zone states had problematic debts up to 4000 billion euro. But the most important is to understand this mechanism of taking money from us. In 7 days Lithuania will have to pay the sum demanded from this supranational institution! How? We will borrow or sign a draft, that is, we will be in additional debt. If it will be decided to raise the fund, our only one vote in ESM council will be a voice in the desert. Competence of Seimas is limited to indicating our representative how to vote in the Council or in board of ESM. Decisions of these institutions are not impeached. These bureaucrats, like other employees of supranational institutions, are dismissed from any responsibility for their actions.
Would any full reasoned and not forced person agree with such a decision if it were not state’s commitments and loss of rights but his own? Nobody and never! When we gave away this function of state’s sovereign (again without agreement of people), the role of Seimas and government in the management of our state’s finance system and economics are only symbolic.
To have a total control over our state’s finance system, there’s left to ratify Bank contract according to which since 2016 all the commercial banks of euro-zone will pay deposits to common fund. There’s a pause for the moment because even lawyers of EU understand that this directly contradicts the constitutions of Member States. That’s why this fund is not subject to ECB, but ECB controls it. In Bank contract it is previewed that in this fund 1% from commercial banks’ assets will be collected till 2025. Then it will pass to ECB. Do you remember open declarations of EU heads that there will be no EU states by 2022? Then the term and measures how the EU states and their constitutions will be digested (my apologies for using this word) becomes clear.
Forced displacement of litas, when we had to take everything from our houses and bring it to the banks, will not end only by sending controllers to you because of your income. One more step leading to unconditional slavery to foreign commercial banks is prepared – 18 November 2014 Government agreed on the project of Law on Cash payment restriction and already passed it to Seimas. Dear ladies and gentlemen of Government, tell me, what could happen to Lithuanian economics if Byelorussians, Ukrainians or even Russians come for holiday to our country and bring cash with them? Do you understand that cash-register checks are documents of strict accounting? You say you fight against corruption and black trade? In the front of corruption Lithuania is a leader among the states of EU. Don’t you understand that by restraining cash payments you will push these payments to margin? In fight against contraband not only administrative measures should be taken but, first of all, economical – by reducing contraband and non-contraband price difference and thus there would be no need for corruption – from common toller to President and Court. This is the only way to get rid of economical background for contraband.
Finally take a look at the mirror and assess the figures of Klaipėda SGD terminal. You shamelessly reduce state’s billions to off-shore enterprise. We really don’t have to have illusions in cases like that – demands of Lithuanian judiciary about off-shore enterprises are ignored by USA, Germany and United Kingdom. Latter is preparing for Referendum on seceding the EU, in her Accession Treaty she was given a permission to have zones for off-shore enterprises. Experts of finance take care how to increase the income of the state and it’s citizens, not to take them away. Our Government’s step to tax remittances received by our pensioners from their children and grand-children abroad is totally shameless.
Using ECB and other supra-national institutions as a tool for taking control over countries was opposed only by small, but united Iceland – by changing Constitution according to people’s will, refusing to accept engagements of Iceland’s banks, refusing to access EU and by condemning government that pursued the globalist policy. Euro-zone countries are “saved” by forcing them to accept engagements of their banks, take loans given by IMF and ESM in the name of the state. When such debtors default, debts are not written-off but are bought by ECB by issuing euro-bonds. Where money is from? Simply euro money is spent. Trying to make euro-zone more attractive ECB is reducing basic euro interest rate. But a zone like this (bonds of German government are already sold with negative interest rate) is not attractive to investors. For example, during escalation of euro-zone crisis last year Japanese Government sold all euro-bonds they had. For a while euro-zone is saved only by euro-bonds that are 10-15 year old. But ECB will have to buy them in certain time.
Obviously by paying in newly issued fiduciary euro and euro-bonds. After New Year the problems of euro-zone, devaluation of euro compared to US dollar was highest in 9 years. Investors are not attracted, on the contrary, they escape euro-zone because papers of USA and other countries are more desirable. Scripts for German problems are prepared, UK is going to announce Referendum on seceding EU not only because of political reasons.
By seeing this scenario for Lithuania in 2014 it is easier to understand why our Government, ruled from aside (or maybe already from the top?), so hysterically met people’s initiative to announce Referendum. Even Mr. V. Landsbergis lost self-control publicly. We could have ruined such great federal, silently arranged plans for Lithuania! By the way, commercial banks are also instruments for taking control over state. According to our law, property taken for debts should be in bank’s balance only for a year. After that our foreign banks give this property, first of all prestigious land parcels and buildings, to their own investment enterprises. Dear initiators of referendum, who have consecrated yourself to this holy idea of saving our land and people’s government, please understand what powers and money you opposed!
That’s why project of Euro-procurement will be forced this year, state-heads won’t even sign a particular agreement despite of fact that such an agreement was made in Treaty of Lisbon. We are spitted at our faces. And we are very patient. Our President Mrs. D. Grybauskaitė and Mr. V. Landsbergis are creating an external enemy just in case and give to militaries juridical rights not in the time of war. God save us, we can wake up!
I’ve mentioned God’s name. Dear servants of the Church, I am appealing to your self-respect and responsibility for the future of Lithuania. Do not repeat mistakes for Referendum, do not be against people. Be worthy “Chronicles of Lithuanian Church” you have published in Soviet times.
30 December “Lietuvos rytas” has published an article on Dzidas Budrys, grand-father of our Finance minister Rimantas Šadžius. He has burrowed litas in 1940. This is not only symbolical. In 1940 a little known lecturer of Vytautas Magnus University was appointed a soviet commissar for liquidation of Bank of Lithuania. In 1994 after return of Soviet Government he was honored by the professor title. This is not only history of Lithuanian gold and other property, this is also a history of human fate. The number of exiled employees of Bank of Lithuania is impressive. For those who are interested I propose to read other sources.
Remembering peripeteia of reestablishing Lithuanian Bank and litas in 1989-1993 and inhumanly hard work, I would like to thank sincerely to first Head of reestablished Bank of Lithuania Vilius Baldišis and his 100 employees who worked practically without money and computers, honoured departed professors Stasys Uosis and Vladas Terleckas, and others who gave their forces for this holy work. Without their labour and experience which they shared with colleagues from other former USSR countries who reestablished their financial systems, without their firm attitude against all their enemies – we would have not achieved it so fast.
That’s why it is possible to understand light-headed behavior of Bank of Lithuania and it’s 600 employees, executing initiatives of President Mrs. D. Grybauskaitė for renouncing litas, burrowing our statehood, only having in mind a statement of V. Vasiliauskas that ethics and moral are not of dimensions this world.
Dimension of this world in Lithuania is selling our country. For what and for how much?
I’ve reported all this for us to understand what had happened in Lithuania in 2014. Lithuanian President brought Lithuania on the knees by forcing Seimas and Government, in my opinion this is a forced sale of our state. That’s why let us agree on our goal – what do we want from the EU, where are we going to? If what is going on suits us, if we don’t need a guaranty that a state as people and family guarantee will survive – OK! Only let me remind you what was written on the brim of 5 litas coin of the year 1936, one with a repoussé of Dr. Jonas Basanavičius. The brim is circular, so the inscription can be read in two ways: “Welfare of the Nation – your welfare” or “Your welfare – welfare of the Nation”. How we will read this inscription today?
The Government is not only afraid to ask our opinion, they are afraid to tell us what they are doing. They are afraid of people! That’s why by force is created a territory of LIE, CONSTRAINT and CENSORSHIP which we still call a state. Let us remember a forum of Lithuanian citizens of 9 February 2014 “State without a lies”, when Seimas was appealed concerning obligatory referendums for joining euro and for amendments of 9, 47 and 147 Articles of our Constitution, for impeachment of judges of the Constitutional Court. Question of impeachment of our President Mrs. D. Grybauskaitė, compared to impeachment of President Mr. R. Paksas, is overripe, if we still understand our responsibility for our state. If we still need a state.
We are awaiting 25th anniversary of restoration of our Republic. I have a strange feeling. I remember how direction of Sąjūdis Reform Moovement was confused because they didn‘t know how to react when A. Brazauskas and V. Petkevičius planted our tricolor flag in the Gediminas tower in Vilnius, when Soviet Lithuania still existed. How we will meet this anniversary of now only formally existing state?
Departed Marcelijus Martinaitis has worned us in 1996 – we can become “Europeans” only by being Lithuanians. Otherwise Europe will not need us – our place there will be under the bridges, cheap markets, worse food, suburbs, place of beggar at table. And he asked: “The Prussians first of all “Balts“ went to Europe and they haven’t ever returned. And we, how we will go – with bags of beggar or listening to reason?”
I propose not to go with bags of beggar, but to listen to words of Mr. V. Landsbergis, when he still was not a renegade of the idea of our state, published in his book “Hard freedom” (p. 30-31, 1st book, Vilnius, Vaga, 2000) concerning Constitutional Law of Lithuanian Republic “On Lithuanian State”: “… more than 90% of those who have voted in plebiscite, declared – let Lithuania be an independent state, let it be a democratic state! And these words, pronounced by almost all Lithuania, cannot be renounced, changed or denied by nobody else. Not any party, not any army, not any president or czar, not even Committee of World Saving, not even this our Supreme Council, let us say, dazed by some gas or frightened to be shot, cannot enact a law that could change a decision of our people, this only one sovereign of this land. Decision of all Lithuanian people that Lithuania should be independent is supreme and final, unless tomorrow all of them will vote against it, but even departed Molotov cannot expect this. This is our foundation stone, put into constitutional foundation of the Republic of Lithuania. We will build upon it our legal state with a government subject to the law, elected by people.”