In Lithuania’s runoff elections on Sunday, the ruling conservative party is likely to be replaced by a center-left coalition, led by the Social Democratic Party.
This shift follows the Social Democrats’ win in the first round, where they secured 20 seats, with 35 more candidates advancing to the runoffs in the 141-seat parliament.
Despite the likely change in power, Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, is expected to maintain strong support for Ukraine amid security concerns about neighboring Russia.
All major parties in Lithuania’s election have committed to maintaining or boosting defense spending and support for Ukraine.
Political analyst Rima Urbonaite noted that while domestic policies differ, foreign policy positions among the parties are nearly identical.
According to the Kiel Institute, Lithuania is among the top global supporters of Ukraine, dedicating 1.64% of its economy to aid, ranking it third worldwide relative to economic size.
Lithuania is one of NATO’s top spenders, allocating 3.2% of its GDP to defense this year, exceeding the NATO target of 2%.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) aims to form a coalition with the Democratic Union “In the Name of Lithuania” and the Lithuanian Popular Peasants’ Union to secure a majority in parliament.
While the ruling Conservative Party is expected to finish second, it faces challenges in forming a government, especially with the controversial populist party Nemunas Dawn potentially complicating coalition efforts.
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