On Sunday, thousands of Lithuanians voted in the first round of parliamentary elections that might result in the conservative ruling coalition being replaced by opposition Social Democrats and small centre-left parties.
Strict COVID-19 measures and an influx of migrants pushed back against the conservative government of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, who came to power in 2020. In addition, popularity has eroded due to inflation, rising above 20 per cent two years ago, declining public services and a widening gap between rich and poor.
The Baltic state, a member of the European Union, boasts double-digit annual growth in personal incomes and one of the lowest inflation rates among the bloc’s 27 countries, but still the burning issues come to the fore.
There’s a lot of disappointment and discontent among voters. It is related to numerous crises and shocks and cannot be compensated by economic factors like positive change in purchasing power, according to Rima Urbonaitė, a political analyst at Vilnius’ Mykolas Romeris University.
A recent poll released by the Vilmorus sociological service showed the Social Democratic Party, led by Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, would top the poll with 18 per cent, with twice as many votes as Šimonytė’s Homeland Union. Nemuno Aušra, a newly registered party of politician Remigijus Žemaitaitis, would fall between the two parties with 12 per cent.
Lithuania, with a population of 2.9 million, runs a hybrid electoral system in which half of the parliament is elected by popular vote and a 5 per cent threshold is required to win seats. The other half goes to election on a district basis, a process that favours the larger parties. If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of the votes in a district, the two candidates with the most votes will meet in a second round on 27 October.
