Social Democrats win political runoffs in Lithuania

(ANSA) – VILNIUS, 28 OCTOBER – The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (PSL) has won the run-off elections in Lithuania, winning 32 of the seats assigned under the single-member system. In second place was the Patriotic League (LP) of the outgoing prime minister Ingrida Simonyte (10), followed by the centrist movement “In the name of Lithuania” (INL) of the former prime minister Saulius Skvernelis (6), the populist movement “Alba on Nemunas” (AN) (5), by the League of Liberals (Ll) of the President of Parliament, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen (4) and by the League of Greens and Peasants (Lvc) (2). One seat each goes to Freedom and Justice (Lg), the Electoral Cartel of the Poles of Lithuania (Cepl) and the far-right movement National Rally (Rg). Based on the seats assigned today and those assigned two weeks ago with the proportional system, the new Vilnius Parliament will be dominated by the PSL, which will be able to count on 50 seats out of a total of 171. In second place, Lp with (27) followed at a distance by An (19), InI (14), Ll (11), Lvc (8) and Cepl (5). One seat each will go to Lg and Rg. According to what was stated this evening, the PSL will try to form a government coalition with INL and LVC whose head should be the Social Democratic MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute. Consultations for the formation of the new government coalition will begin tomorrow morning. (HANDLE).