Vilnius, Lithuania – May 13, 2024 – The Lithuanian presidential election has entered its final stages, with incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda leading the first round of voting held on May 12, 2024. Despite a strong showing, Nausėda fell short of the majority required to secure an outright victory, garnering approximately 46% of the votes. As a result, he will face Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, who received around 16% of the votes, in a runoff on May 26, 2024.
Polls and Turnout:
- The polls closed at 8 PM local time on May 12, 2024, with a voter turnout of 59.4%, which is higher than the turnout in the previous election in 2019.
- The initial results indicate Nausėda’s lead, but with eight candidates on the ballot, no candidate secured the 50% majority needed to avoid a runoff.
Main Candidates and Their Platforms:
- Gitanas Nausėda: The 59-year-old incumbent president, a moderate conservative, focuses on enhancing Lithuania’s defense capabilities in response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Nausėda advocates for increasing defense spending to at least 3% of Lithuania’s GDP and supports the modernization of the Lithuanian army.
- Ingrida Šimonytė: The 49-year-old Prime Minister and former finance minister, Šimonytė supports progressive policies such as same-sex civil partnerships, contrasting with Nausėda’s more conservative stance on social issues.
The election occurs during heightened geopolitical tensions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both Nausėda and Šimonytė agree on the necessity of bolstering Lithuania’s defense, with plans to modernize the military and increase defense spending. Lithuania, a NATO member situated on the alliance’s eastern flank, is strategically vital, especially given its proximity to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
While defense policies are a significant focus, the candidates also differ on various social issues. Nausėda opposes same-sex civil partnerships, whereas Šimonytė supports them, reflecting broader societal debates in the predominantly Catholic nation of 2.8 million people.
Alongside the presidential election, a referendum was held to decide whether to amend the constitution to allow dual citizenship. This measure, however, did not pass as it failed to achieve the necessary majority. The proposal aimed to address the issue of Lithuanian citizens losing their nationality upon acquiring another, a significant concern given the country’s declining population.
The runoff election on May 26, 2024, will determine the final outcome. Nausėda, confident of victory, believes his record and policies will secure him a second term. Šimonytė faces the challenge of consolidating support from other candidates’ voters to mount a successful campaign against the incumbent.
