Lithuania: Opposition Wins in Second Round

Vilija Blinkeviciute will now try to form a center-left government

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSPD) won the second round of elections held in Lithuania on October 27.

The party, which was in opposition until yesterday, wins 32 seats allocated under the single-mandate system, overtaking the Fatherland Union (TS-LKD) of outgoing Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte (10 seats), Saulius Skvernelis’s “In the Name of Lithuania” with 6 elected representatives, the newly formed nationalist movement Dawn on Nemunas with 5 seats, the Union of Liberals with 4 seats, and, finally, the Union of Greens and Peasants with 2 seats.

The first round, held on October 13, elected 70 MPs under the proportional system and 8 in the same number of constituencies using the majoritarian system: there were no constituencies in which no candidate won an absolute majority. Now the Social Democratic Party can count on 52 seats out of 141, followed by TS-LKD with 28 seats, Dawn on Nemunas with 20 MPs. Next comes the center-left party Union of Democrats “In the Name of Lithuania” with 14 seats, the Liberals with 12, and the Greens with 8.

According to analysts, the Social Democratic Party will begin talks to try to form a coalition government led by MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute.