The ruling party in Lithuania loses elections; Conservatives to Form New Government Together with Liberals / Article / LSM.lv

The ruling party in Lithuania loses elections; the Conservatives will form a new government with the LiberalsUldis Ķezberis00:00 / 02:38

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On Sunday, October 25, in the second round of the last Seimas elections, the laurels were won by the opposition party “Fatherland Union – Christian Democrats”, which also triumphed in the first round of voting two weeks earlier. In the next parliamentary term, “patriots” will be represented by 50 deputies out of 141, according to the data of the Lithuanian Central Election Commission.

The current Union of Farmers and Greens, which achieved the second result in both rounds, won 32 seats.

Another four-party faction will have between 10 and 13 members. A total of 11 party lists have entered Parliament.

In the second round of elections, less than 40% of eligible citizens participated. This is less than in the first round, when more than 47% voted. The decline in voter turnout could be attributed to the rapid spread of coronavirus Covid-19 in Lithuania and citizens’ fears of infection.

Ingrida Šimonīte, the leader of the “Fatherland Union – Christian Democrats” and the candidate for the post of Prime Minister, has announced that she wants to form a center-right government, which would also include the Liberal Union and the Freedom Party. These parties are also led by women.

The potential coalition in the Seimas would have 74 out of 141 deputies.

Negotiations to form a coalition are expected to be difficult, as the possible Prime Minister Šimonīte has announced that his government’s program will definitely not include the Freedom Party’s promise to allow the registration of same-sex partnerships and the legalization of marijuana.

Šimonīte considers the need to review the current government’s strategy in the fight against Covid-19 to be the main priority of the coalition that has not yet formed.

She wants epidemiologists and doctors to have a greater say in future decisions.

Another important task of the new government will be the adoption of the 2021 state budget.

Gabrieļus Landsbergis, the co-chair of the “Fatherlanders”, said that the new government would continue the foreign policy course of the current government. This means maintaining close strategic relations with neighboring countries Latvia, Estonia and Poland. Equally important will be the relations with the United States, which is the guarantor of Lithuania’s security. Within the European Union, on the other hand, it will be important to strengthen ties with the most influential member of the bloc, Germany, where the Conservatives are also in power.

Mr Landzsberg emphasized that Lithuania’s foreign policy priority would continue to be the provision of financial and political support to the democratic opposition in Belarus.

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