Farewell to President: Algirdas Brazauskas (1932-2010)
Today Lithuania will bury it's forth (or fifth if we will take into the account the decision of 2009 to grant all presidential insignias to general Jonas Žemaitis who was elected the head of the underground government in 1949) president - Algirdas Brazauskas:
But in fact this will be the first presidential funerals in this country: two presidents died in emigration, third died in Lithuania in 1969 but his death was in principal kept secret in that period. J. Žemaitis was executed in 1953.
Death of Brazauskas wasn't big surprise: he was diagnosed with cancer several years ago and many people knew that former president is terminally ill. I have unofficial information that in February Lithuanian diplomats began to look for the help in Estonia organizing state funerals since only this country in the region had similar experience during latter decade. In April Lithuanian diplomats invisibly participated in the funeral of Polish president Kaczynski gaining the experience for their own Day X ....
A. Brazauskas was the product of perestroika and Sajudis movement. He became known to public in 1988 when the necessity to change the leadership of the CK became so obvious that even hardest retrograds can't resist it and he was the single non-dogmatic personality in the upper circles of the CK in Vilnius. Brezhnev era leaders which occupied all the main positions in then republican leadership gave no other option than to choose him. His big political career which started in 1988 spanned to 2006.
He in principle wasn't politician: by nature he was more head of the corporation than politician. But he had innate abilities to be a leader. Forced to become a politician he tried to do his job as good as he can. He knew how to talk to people. He was calm and his personality provided stability to the society. I am still convinced that he was the best presidential candidate for the 1990s. His character and personality helped our society to overcome uneasy reforms of 1990s. No any other candidate could do this better in that period than he did. And he was completely free of any autocratic ambitions so popular in this region of the world during 1990s. He liked compromises. This ability he probably partly acquired during career and partly this was his innate characteristic. But I am also convinced that it was a big mistake his comeback to politics in 2001 and his premiership: not because that he did something particularly bad but his personality partly blocked the process of natural development of new younger responsible leaders. At the same time he can't stop the rise of a group of young populist politicians...
A.Brazauskas left deep sign in the life of Lithuania. His name will be included in the historical annals of this country. He lived amazing life: a quarter century ago he probably can't imagine in the wildest dreams that the fate will choose him to sign the Declaration of Independency Restoration, to sign the European Union Treaty and the North Atlantic Union Treaty .
He was and is a truly loved one in our society. He did a great job for the country. He served well for this country. Good bye, President.
But in fact this will be the first presidential funerals in this country: two presidents died in emigration, third died in Lithuania in 1969 but his death was in principal kept secret in that period. J. Žemaitis was executed in 1953.
Death of Brazauskas wasn't big surprise: he was diagnosed with cancer several years ago and many people knew that former president is terminally ill. I have unofficial information that in February Lithuanian diplomats began to look for the help in Estonia organizing state funerals since only this country in the region had similar experience during latter decade. In April Lithuanian diplomats invisibly participated in the funeral of Polish president Kaczynski gaining the experience for their own Day X ....
A. Brazauskas was the product of perestroika and Sajudis movement. He became known to public in 1988 when the necessity to change the leadership of the CK became so obvious that even hardest retrograds can't resist it and he was the single non-dogmatic personality in the upper circles of the CK in Vilnius. Brezhnev era leaders which occupied all the main positions in then republican leadership gave no other option than to choose him. His big political career which started in 1988 spanned to 2006.
He in principle wasn't politician: by nature he was more head of the corporation than politician. But he had innate abilities to be a leader. Forced to become a politician he tried to do his job as good as he can. He knew how to talk to people. He was calm and his personality provided stability to the society. I am still convinced that he was the best presidential candidate for the 1990s. His character and personality helped our society to overcome uneasy reforms of 1990s. No any other candidate could do this better in that period than he did. And he was completely free of any autocratic ambitions so popular in this region of the world during 1990s. He liked compromises. This ability he probably partly acquired during career and partly this was his innate characteristic. But I am also convinced that it was a big mistake his comeback to politics in 2001 and his premiership: not because that he did something particularly bad but his personality partly blocked the process of natural development of new younger responsible leaders. At the same time he can't stop the rise of a group of young populist politicians...
A.Brazauskas left deep sign in the life of Lithuania. His name will be included in the historical annals of this country. He lived amazing life: a quarter century ago he probably can't imagine in the wildest dreams that the fate will choose him to sign the Declaration of Independency Restoration, to sign the European Union Treaty and the North Atlantic Union Treaty .
He was and is a truly loved one in our society. He did a great job for the country. He served well for this country. Good bye, President.