The change in government is not expected to lead to a major change in the country’s foreign policy, as the Social Democrats are broadly supportive to continue aiding Ukraine and keeping the defense spending above 3 per cent of GDP.
ADVERTISEMENTThe leader of the Social Democratic Party announced on Sunday that her party is leading in the polls for Lithuania’s second and final round of parliamentary elections.
Voters headed to the ballots, as strict COVID-19 measures during the pandemic, political scandals involving several key members of the Cabinet, and an influx of migrants from neighboring Belarus have hurt the popularity of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė’s government, which took office in 2020.
“No matter where they live in big cities, towns or villages, they want change, they need a completely different government,” said Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, leader of Social Democratic Party.
She added that she will soon take “full responsibility and form the ruling majority together with the president.”
Blinkevičiūtė has that she and the centre-left Democratic Union, which took eight seats in the first round, would attempt to form a coalition together with a smaller third party.
The three parties, which so far have 34 lawmakers in total, supported each other’s candidates in the second round.
The vote in Lithuania, which borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave to the west and Belarus to the east, comes at a time when Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine is fueling greater fears about Moscow’s intentions, particularly in the strategically important Baltic region.
It will set the political tone for the next four years, but despite a possible shift to the left analysts say there won’t be significant change Lithuania’s foreign policy.
The European Union and NATO member is a staunch supporter of Ukraine.