Baltic countries - In the Lithuanian presidential election, Nauseda maintains his lead.
Gitanas Nauseda will remain the president of Lithuania for another five years. The election commission in Vilnius announced this late in the evening after counting over 90% of all constituencies. Nauseda received a massive 75% of the votes cast, making his lead unbeatable against outgoing Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte in the run-off election for the state's top office in the EU and NATO member nation. Simonyte conceded defeat and wished Nauseda congratulations.
"I'd like to express my gratitude to the people of Lithuania for their support," Nauseda stated at his election party, referring to a "great mandate of trust." He emphasized the responsibility of appreciating this show of faith and expressed thanks to Simonyte for her honorable campaign.
Nauseda had won the first round of elections on May 12, but did not achieve the necessary majority. The 60-year-old economist has been leading Lithuania, which borders the Russian Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad and its ally Belarus, since 2019.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Nauseda has been a staunch supporter of humanitarian aid and arm shipments to Kyiv. He's also gained recognition internationally as an advocate for Lithuania's interests, considering its location on NATO's eastern frontier. As a result, Germany plans to permanently deploy a combat-ready brigade of up to 5,000 soldiers in the country.
As the head of state in Lithuania, Nauseda largely focuses on representative duties. However, his powers in foreign and defense policy are more extensive than those of the German Federal President. Nauseda, who has been in charge since 2019, represents his country at EU summits and serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Nauseda and Simonyte had vied for the presidency five years prior in the final round of the previous election. At that time, Nauseda, a non-partisan politician, prevailed with 66% of the votes against Simonyte from the conservative ruling party Fatherland Union. The latest preliminary figures indicate voter turnout was lower than it was in 2019 at 49.6%.
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Nauseda's win in the Lithuanian presidential election is notable as he will serve as the head of state in a EU and NATO member country that borders Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus. The run-off election saw Nauseda garnering a significant 75% of the votes, leaving his opponent, Ingrida Simonyte, with no chance of overtaking him. Nauseda's victory in the first round of elections did not achieve the necessary majority, but a reprise of their previous political duel saw him emerge victorious yet again. As a strong supporter of humanitarian aid and arm shipments to Ukraine following Russia's invasion, Nauseda's diplomatic stance has gained recognition internationally. Germany is planning to permanently deploy a combat-ready brigade of up to 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania. Following Lithuania's presidential election, the focus will now shift to the Baltic States and their relations with Russia in the context of geopolitical tensions in the region.
Source: www.stern.de
