Lithuania held its presidential election on Sunday (May 12), with incumbent President Gitanas Nauseda leading in the polls and poised to win another five-year term. The election comes at a time of heightened tensions due to Russia’s escalating attacks on Ukraine. As a former Soviet state, Lithuanians are increasingly worried that their country could also become a target of Russian aggression.
According to reports from Reuters and The Associated Press, polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time on Sunday and closed at 8 p.m., with results expected to be announced after midnight. If no candidate secures over 50% of the votes, a runoff election will be held on May 26. The likelihood of a runoff is high as there are a total of eight candidates competing, presenting a challenge for any candidate to garner over 50% of the votes.
The current president, 59-year-old Nauseda, leads in the polls with 29% support according to recent surveys by Delfi/Spinter Tyrimai. Nauseda, a former senior economist at a top bank, faces competition from 49-year-old Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the only female candidate, who has 14% support.
Another contender is populist lawyer Ignas Vegele, who gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic for his opposition to restrictions and vaccines.
Despite Lithuania’s NATO and EU membership, voters remain concerned about the possibility of Russian aggression. A poll by ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai found that over half of Lithuanians believe Russia may or is very likely to launch an attack. Lithuania’s intelligence services stated in March that Russia has been strengthening its military capabilities near the NATO border.
Russia has repeatedly denied allegations that Moscow might attack NATO member countries, dismissing them as unfounded.
Dealing with the threat from Russia has become a major concern for Lithuanian voters. Both Nauseda and Simonyte support increasing defense spending from the planned 2.75% to at least 3% of Lithuania’s GDP to fund the modernization of the military and infrastructure.
Lithuania operates under a semi-presidential system, where the president’s main responsibilities include overseeing foreign affairs and security policies, serving as the supreme commander of the armed forces, and representing Lithuania at EU and NATO summits.
The Lithuanian president has a say in the appointment of key officials such as judges, chief prosecutors, defense ministers, and central bank governors.
Nauseda is a moderate conservative. In 2019, he won the presidential election with 66% of the vote, defeating former finance minister Simonyte.
Apart from the presidential election, Lithuania held a nationwide referendum on dual citizenship on Sunday. The results will determine whether the country will amend its constitution to allow hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians living abroad to hold dual citizenship. If approved, Lithuanian citizens will no longer need to renounce their Lithuanian citizenship to become citizens of other countries.