In an interview to public radio LRT on Thursday, the parliament speaker said that numerous representatives of political parties are in favour of borrowing, including from Lithuanian citizens, in a strive to enhance the country’s security.
“I believe this is one of the measures that could be agreed on even today. By lending to the state, residents show their trust and invest in their own security,” said Čmilytė-Nielsen.
Speaking about defence funding, she stressed that if a decision is made to raise taxes in order to boost defence spending, this should not affect just one social group. Moreover, she believes that any decision on sustainable defence funding would have to be approved by a broad majority of legislators in order to ensure continuity, otherwise these measures might be cancelled after elections.
“We must agree that there is a necessity, that there is a need and find the least painful and the most uniting measure on how to fund defence,” she added.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė is scheduled to meet with political leaders, business and trade union representatives on 29 January to discuss Lithuania’s defence funding.