Lithuania chooses its fresh legislative body, foreshadowing a potential shift in administration.
In Lithuania, the citizens are casting their votes for a fresh parliament. This is the initial phase of the election, electing 141 parliament members, with the subsequent round scheduled in two weeks. Preliminary surveys indicate a shift in power.
Predictions point towards the Social Democrats overthrowing the current ruling party, the Homeland Union, as the most influential faction. Furthermore, the "Morning Star of Nemunas" might break new ground by becoming the first populist party to infiltrate the parliament. Its leader is currently embroiled in a legal dispute over alleged anti-Semitic utterances.
President Gitanas Nauseda, who recently secured a second term in May, backed by the Social Democrats, seems to endorse this power shift. The leading parties of this Baltic nation, with a population of merely 2.8 million and sharing a border with Russia, concur that commitment towards Ukraine should persist, and defense capabilities against Russia should be fortified.
The winning party in the election in Lithuania is expected to be the Social Democrats, potentially leading to the overthrow of the Homeland Union as the most influential faction. The "Morning Star of Nemunas," a populist party, may make history by entering the Lithuanian parliament for the first time.
