The Problem of the Leader in a Parliamentary State. The Leaders of the Seimas Political Groups Under the Parliamentary Crisis of 1926

Abstract

The article analyzes actions taken by political groups leaders of the 3rd Seimas under the parliamentary crisis; an attempt is made to find out whether there was any possibility of preventing the coup d’etat. The author measures to what degree the fate of the Seimas as well as the democracy in Lithuania and the state itself depended on the public experience of the party leaders, their ability to work collaboratively at the Seimas, their tolerance towards political opponents and their attitude towards the public opinion. The provided data indicate that the coup d’etat could be prevented by making a coalition between the Populists and one of the fractions of the Christian Democratic bloc – the Farmers’ Union. The Populists did not take the chance, because their primary goal, besides making democracy reforms, was reducing the influence of Christian Democrats in the country.