party centre-left minority government which relied on support from the opposition Conservatives to function. But in recent weeks an increasingly bitter dispute over the head of the national security services has set the Conservatives and Social Democrats at loggerheads, paralyzing parliamentary work. The defeat of the proposal for fresh elections is seen by some as a chance to return to parliamentary cooperation. "The situation is now stable - parliament is discussing the laws which the Lithuanian people need," Jastramkis said. But with the government still in a minority in parliament, it remains to be seen whether Lithuania's fractious political parties will be able to work together more harmoniously in the future.
