Nauseda at 44.89%… advances to the final round on the 26th
Prime Minister Simonyte in 2nd place with 19.34%,
,
,
, ‘ Gitanas Nauseda (pictured), the Lithuanian President (independent) who has emphasized support for Ukraine against Russia, secured the most votes in the presidential election and advanced to the final round.’,
,
, ‘ According to the election results announced by the Lithuanian Central Election Commission on the previous day, President Nauseda received 44.89% of the votes, securing the 1st place. However, he did not reach the majority required to finalize the election. In 2nd place is Ingrida Simonyte, Prime Minister (Homeland Union), who received 19.34% of the votes. Accordingly, these two candidates are expected to face each other again in the final round of voting on the 26th. In this Lithuanian presidential election with 8 candidates running, national security has been the major issue. Lithuanian citizens, who share a border with Russia, are concerned that if Russia wins in the Ukraine war, they could be the next target. Lithuania, which gained independence from the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s along with Estonia and Latvia, has actively supported Ukraine while pursuing a pro-Western policy.’,
,
, ‘Both candidates advancing to the final round are considered hardliners against Russia, so regardless of who is elected, the existing national security policy is expected to remain unchanged. President Nauseda and Prime Minister Simonyte both advocate for increasing defense spending to counter Russian threats as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and European Union (EU) member countries. However, they have differing views on public relations and social issues. Lithuania has maintained its support for Taiwan within pressure from China in recent years, but signs of change have emerged. President Nauseda argues for improving relations with China for economic reasons. Additionally, while President Nauseda focuses on traditional values such as family, Prime Minister Simonyte supports the LGBTQ+ community.’,
,
,