Lithuania’s domestic and foreign policy in the half-year of Kazys Grinius' presidency through the eyes of Swedish diplomats

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami Švedijos diplomatų požiūriai, vertinimai ir laikysena Lietuvos vidaus ir užsienio politikos atžvilgiu per prezidento K. Griniaus valdymo pusmetį 1926 m. Taip pat aptariamos Švedijos pasiuntinio Baltijos šalims U. T. Undeno pastangos prisidėti ginant katalikų Bažnyčios teises Lietuvoje prieš radikalistinius kairiųjų koalicinės vyriausybės užmojus ir kartu švelninant vidaus įtampąThe article, which is based on the data from Swedish archives and periodicals, analyses opinions expressed in the environment of Swedish diplomats with regard to the domestic and foreign policy pursued by Lithuanian left-wing democratic government and President K. Grinius in the second half of 1926. Rational policy of reforms which would take into consideration pluralistic interests of the society was expected from the left-wing government as compared to former governments of Christian democrats. However, from the early stages Swedish diplomats noticed that the left-wing had few forceful leaders and their bold aspirations were inconsistent with the actual possibilities. Paradoxically, the Catholic clergy (Bishop J. Skvireckas) asked Lutheran Swedish envoy to intercede for their interests and dissuade the government from policy hostile to the church. The Swedish envoy in the Baltic countries tried to invoke various arguments to persuade Prime Minister M. Sleževičius into talks with the Holy See and appeasement of policy regarding the church. Speaking about foreign policy, Lithuania’s gravitation towards the Soviet Union expressed through the signing of the non-aggression pact was regarded as risky. Swedish diplomats viewed the pact as legally not contradicting the Covenant of the League of Nations, yet contravening it in its spirit and encouraging further disruption of the sanction system of the League of Nations. From the present-day point of view, the said opinions of Swedish diplomats were rather valid, though a little too strict as Swedish diplomats tended to overrate the potential of ideally rational political behaviour in Lithuania at that timeViešojo administravimo katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta