Brussels – With the second round of elections yesterday (Oct. 27), Lithuania confirmed the turn to the left. After the first vote on Oct. 13, the Baltic country reaffirmed its preference for the Social Democratic LDSP party, led by Vilija Blinkeviciute.
The second ballot is part of the process of forming the Seimas (Lithuania’s single-chamber parliament): 70 seats are allocated by a popular vote on a single national constituency, which took place two weeks ago and had already seen the first success of the left. The remaining 71 are distributed through as many uninominal constituencies and, lacking an absolute majority, a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes.
After the second ballot, the result is even more evident: out of the 141 total seats, 52 go to Blinkeviciute’s party and 28 to the Union of the Fatherland (TS-LKD), the party of outgoing premier Ingrida Simonyte. The populist Nemuno ausra (PPNA) party, which, between the two polls, won 20 seats, followed. Of the two parties in coalition with the Union of the Fatherland, the Liberty Party (LP) did not surpass the 5 percent bar on the first ballot, and the centrists of the Liberal Movement (LS) got 12 seats.
Gabrielius Landsbergis
In addition, the leader of TS-LKD, Gabrielius Landsbergis, decided to resign as head of the party after the election debacle, adding that: “The voters’ signal was quite clear, both for the party and for me personally, and it would be a mistake not to hear it.” In May 2023, Landsbergis had taken strong positions against the government led by Simonyte, distancing himself from the governing coalition in response to the “municipal spending” scandal. Despite this, his party paid for the people’s discontent heightened by the cost of living and social inequality.
“The results of these elections have shown that the Lithuanian people, regardless of where they live, in big cities, small towns or villages, want change,” said the LDSP leader.
The main campaign themes of the Social Democrats were economic, with proposals for higher taxation on the wealthy for social welfare while accommodating people’s concerns about the rising cost of living. Not insignificant were the protests planned for this week in the Baltic states against the tax increases, particularly the VAT, which returned to 21 percent after decreasing to support activities in the post-pandemic recovery. Blinkeviciute, after a victory she defined as “historic,” will have to pay attention to the demands of her electorate and workers.
There should be no changes in foreign policy regarding firm support for Ukraine, maintaining government defense expenditure of about 3 percent of GDP. The proximity with Russia causes concern, so the country is expected to move for increased Euro-Atlantic integration while firmly condemning the Kremlin’s actions and good relations with neighboring countries. Also, regarding Belarus, the new leftist majority will not extend a hand to Lukashenko (on whom it has called for the International Criminal Court to investigate for ‘crimes against humanity).
Equally important for Blinkeviciute will be the positions on social rights. As MEP, she is part of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and a deputy of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. She has contributed to the debate on these issues in the EU and in her work at home as a former minister of social security and labor. She will not be able to do less in her own country, which was recently urged by the Council of Europe Anti-Racism Commission to do more for the rights of LGBTQ+ people and the Roma community.
The leader of the Social Democrats must form a solid parliamentary majority. The plan is to turn to the progressive parties in the Lithuanian parliament, including the Union of Democrats “For Lithuania” (to which she has already expressed her intentions after the Oct. 13 first ballot) and the Union of Farmers and Greens, which won 14 and 8 seats, respectively. The final decision on the governing coalition will have to wait since it will come only after the Social Democrats’ presidium meeting on Wednesday and then the party council, which should meet the following week.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub