The Social Democrats win Lithuanian elections, defeating the centre-right government

Vilnius, Lithuania (AFP) – Lithuania Centre-left opposition parties celebrated victory on Monday after defeating the centre-right ruling coalition in the final round of national elections.

After counting 100% of the votes Sunday pollsThe Social Democrats won 52 seats in the 141-seat parliament, known as the Parliament, ending the four-year rule of the Homeland Union government led by conservative Prime Minister Ingrida Simonetti.

The Social Democrats will begin talks on forming a majority government with two small centre-left parties, the Democratic Union and the Peasants’ Union and the Greens, which won 14 and 8 seats respectively. The coalition is expected to control at least 74 seats.

Shimoniti’s Homeland Union won only 28 seats in the two-round election.

Velija Plinkiviti, who heads the Social Democratic Party, thanked her supporters as a jubilant crowd celebrated victory in downtown Vilnius on Sunday.

“I am very grateful to the people of Lithuania who were very active today in voting for us,” she said, adding that “the results showed that the people want change, and a completely different government.”

The result was a surprise to the ruling Conservatives, who were then only two seats behind the Social Democrats First round.

Analysts expect Lithuania to continue following a historical pattern where voters tend to look differently every four years.

Simonetti admitted, noting the pattern. “This is the case in Lithuania, in every election we see the pendulum swinging in one direction or another,” she told reporters. “We respect the will of the voters.”

The vote in Lithuania, which borders the Russian Kaliningrad region to the west and Belarus to the east, came at a time when… Russia’s war in Ukraine This fuels greater concerns about Moscow’s intentions, especially in the strategically important Baltic region.

Analysts say there will be no major change in Lithuania’s foreign policy. The European Union and NATO member is considered a staunch supporter of Ukraine.

The outgoing government faced criticism for the strict measures it adopted during the pandemic, with many complaining that its government did not do enough to help businesses during the lockdown. Others say thousands of people did not receive proper health care.

Shemoniti has also come under heavy criticism for its treatment of migrants arriving through it Belarus. Lithuania has claimed its eastern neighbour, as well RussiaHe was coordinating the flow of people, mostly from Africa and the Middle East.

Although the country has seen annual personal income growth in double digits and has one of the lowest inflation rates in the 27-nation bloc, most voters don’t seem to be impressed.

The results also mean that the new government could be formed without the populist Nemono Oshra party, which came in third place with 20 seats. Its leader, Remigigos Simaitaitis, was forced to resign from parliament earlier this year for making anti-Semitic statements.

After the results, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, announced his resignation from the leadership of the Homeland Union party and said he would leave politics.

The turnout rate on Sunday was 41.31%, which is among the highest percentages in the runoff.