New president in Lithuania

Three articles about Lithuania's new president-elect: Dalia Grybauskaite, who will be the first female president of Lithuania:

Lithuania elects first female president

EU budget chief wins Lithuanian presidential election

EU commissioner wins Lithuania vote

I'm happy to see a woman in this position, and I think that Grybauskaite was the most promising candidate. By that I mean that she seems to have strong (and apparently reasonable) convictions and not be afraid to state her mind. Whether she'll be able to take on the clan of halfwits that runs the country and make some real changes remains to be seen. Because the president of Lithuania doesn't act as the head of the government, she won't have anything to do with the actual day-to-day running of the country. The current president often referred to himself as a sort of moral compass directing the country. I respect the job that President Valdas Adamkus did, but it is time for a younger, more energetic leader. I will have all the respect in the world for her if she makes it clear that the people in the cabinet of ministers, parliament, and bureaucracy will be held accountable for their actions (or lack thereof). My advice to Her Excellency: start by cleaning the deadwood out of the bureaucracy. Make it easier to get rid of bureaucrats that aren't doing their jobs. Lithuania would be a much nicer place if that happened. I could name several people right now (Varnaite, for one) who are on the state payroll, but doing absolutely nothing good for the country. Contact me.