Lithuania holds presidential elections amid concerns over Russia-Ukraine war | Political news

The Baltic state of 2.8 million people fears it will be next in Russia’s crosshairs if Moscow wins its war against Ukraine.

Lithuanians are voting in their country’s presidential election at a critical time amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, which is affecting the strategically important Baltic country.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) on Sunday morning and will close in the evening, with popular incumbent Gitanas Nauseda likely to win another five-year term.

However, with eight candidates in the running, it may be difficult for any one of them to muster the 50 percent of votes needed to win the election. In this case, a second round will take place on May 26.

Nauseda is a moderate conservative, and one of his main opponents is Ingrida Simonyte, the current prime minister and former finance minister, whom he defeated in the 2019 runoff with 66% of the vote.

Another candidate is Ignas Vegele, a populist lawyer who gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic for his opposition to restrictions and vaccines.

The three main contenders agree on defense, but have different views on social issues and Lithuania’s relations with China, strained for years over Taiwan.

Aldona Majauskiene, 82, told the AFP news agency that she voted for Nauseda because “he is the best in all categories.”

Civil servant Airine, 53, told the agency that she had voted for Simonyte and hoped for less populism from the future president.

“I don’t vote for faces, I vote for those who can really contribute to strengthening our security and our quality of life,” she said.

Concerns about Russia

In the Lithuanian political system, the president oversees foreign and security policy and acts as supreme commander of the armed forces.

This small country is strategically important because it is located on NATO’s eastern flank, which is particularly important as tensions rise between Russia and the West following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow, which has now lasted more than two years.

The Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, on the Baltic Sea, extends between Lithuania to the north and east and Poland to the south. Lithuania, as well as neighboring Latvia and Estonia, are therefore very concerned about the latest advances of Russian troops in northeastern Ukraine.

The three Baltic states declared their independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union and joined the European Union and NATO.

Lithuania, which has a population of 2.8 million, fears it will be next in Russia’s crosshairs if Moscow wins its war against Ukraine. It is one of Ukraine’s largest donors and a major defense investor, with a military budget currently equivalent to 2.75% of its GDP.

The vote also includes a referendum that will ask whether the constitution should be amended to allow dual citizenship for hundreds of thousands of Lithuanians living abroad, struggling with a shrinking population.

For the first time, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) refused an invitation from Lithuania to observe the elections.

The Lithuanian government wanted to exclude observers from Russia and Belarus, accusing them both – which are part of the OSCE – of posing a threat to its political and electoral processes.

The organization said Lithuania was breaking OSCE rules and the observers did not represent their countries’ governments, signing a code of conduct promising political neutrality.