In a national election runoff on Sunday, Lithuanian Gitanas Nauseda looked likely to win a second term in office, limited results revealed. During a battle dominated by safety concerns in the European Union and NATO part next to Russia.
The European country of 2.8 million people has been a fervent supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 war. Like other countries in the region, it worries it could be Moscow’s second objective.
Nauseda, 60, a former senior economist with Swedish banking group SEB who is not affiliated with any party, won the first round of the election on May 12 with 44 % of the votes, short of the 50 % he needed for an outright victory.
Ingrida Simonyte, 49, from the ruling centre-right Homeland Union party, who had partially received the majority of the vote, was in the lead on Sunday, with a limited result showing him to win 82 % of the total vote. She came in second with 20 % and was the only person out of eight individuals in the first round.
A ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai surveys conducted between February and March found that simply over half of Lithuanians think a Russian invasion is feasible or even very good. Russia has frequently sworn off worries it may harm a Nato part.
Nauseda claimed in a Tuesday conversation that he views Russia as a threat. Our enemies are attempting to destabilize our elections, and we must do everything to stop them. They actually call themselves our foes.
Both Nauseda and Simonyte support increasing defence spending to at least 3 % of Lithuania’s gross domestic product, from the 2.75 % planned for this year.
