Lithuania votes in first round of parliamentary election as voters weigh change

# Lithuania votes in first round of parliamentary election as voters weigh change

*Event date: 2024-10-13*

Lithuanians voted on October 13, 2024, in the first round of parliamentary elections for the 141-seat Seimas, with early signs suggesting the center-right governing coalition could be replaced by the opposition Social Democrats and smaller center-left parties.

The vote took place against a backdrop of economic strength that has not translated into broad political satisfaction. AP said Lithuania has recorded annual double-digit personal income growth and has one of the lowest inflation rates in the European Union, but many voters still appear unconvinced by the record of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė's government, which took office in 2020. The campaign has been shaped by lingering anger over strict COVID-19 measures and frustration over how authorities handled migration pressure from Belarus.

Political analyst Rima Urbonaitė said the mood among voters reflected multiple crises and shocks that economic progress alone could not offset. That sentiment was echoed in AP's reporting from Vilnius, where the article described a sense of disappointment and discontent among parts of the electorate. One voter, teacher Darius Mikalauskas, said he was considering switching away from the conservatives after years of supporting them.

The polling picture points to a fragmented outcome. A survey cited by AP suggested the Social Democratic Party, led by Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, would finish first, with about twice the support of Šimonytė's Homeland Union. It also put Nemuno Aušra, the right-wing party of Remigijus Žemaitaitis, in the mix. No party was expected to reach 20% on its own, making coalition bargaining unavoidable.

That arithmetic matters because the Seimas is elected in two rounds. On October 13, 70 lawmakers were chosen from party lists, while others were to be elected in single-mandate constituencies if they secured more than 50% of the vote. The runoff is scheduled for October 27, when many constituencies will decide between the two leading candidates.

Lithuania's foreign policy is unlikely to shift sharply if the center-left gains power, AP reported, but the election is still being watched closely across the Baltic region. Russia's war in Ukraine has kept regional security high on the political agenda, and Lithuania's leaders remain focused on the broader threat from Moscow. In that context, the vote is less about ideology than about how voters judge the government's response to successive crises.

The result of the first round will not settle the parliamentary race, but it gives a clear signal that the country's next governing coalition may look different from the one that has ruled since 2020.