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Parties in the multi-member constituency are fighting for 70 seats in the Seimas.
First of all, the Lithuanian Greens and Peasants party, which had held firm throughout Sunday night, was ousted from its post by the Union of the Fatherland – Lithuanian Christian Democrats shortly after midnight.
While they wait for the latest data from the district, the Conservatives hold steady in first place, at 24.43 percent. votes and obtaining 22 seats in the Seimas.
Meanwhile, the Union of Greens and Peasants of Lithuania (17.76%) has 16 seats.
The Labor Party is third: 9.63 percent. – 9 seats.
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party: 9.35 percent. and 9 mandates.
Freedom Party with 8.71 percent. – 8 seats.
The Liberal Movement of the Republic of Lithuania with 6.74 percent. – 6 seats.
PHOTO GALLERY. Electoral headquarters of the Freedom Party
Lithuania Polish Election Campaign: Union of Christian Families raised 4.91 percent. – 0 places.
Voter turnout could have been negatively affected by the pandemic, say political scientists
Political scientists say that voter turnout in the Seimas elections less than four years ago may have been caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“One can, of course, guess what drove it to be a few percentage points lower than four years ago: if the weather, or the reluctance to risk possible pollution, or if some are as good as they are, they don’t want to exercise. your right to vote. ” – Professor Ramūnas Vilpišauskas from the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University told BNS.
According to Jūratė Novagrockienė, professor at the General Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy, voter turnout is “very good” in view of the pandemic situation, which, in his opinion, was affected by people’s fears and various problems related to voting in isolation.
“You have to” lower “a percentage that was simply afraid to go to the polls, because in one way or another there is a certain fear of getting infected,” said the political scientist.
Foreign Lithuanians got involved in politics
When the embassies in the UK and Ireland record a double increase in activity for Lithuanians living here compared to previous elections, political scientists associate it with issues relevant to foreign Lithuanians that are on Lithuania’s political agenda.
“The fact that there is also interest from Lithuania; on the other hand, they are obviously very interested in the issue of dual citizenship, I think the result of a longer period of time is the activity that we see today,” said J Novagrockienė.
According to R. Vilpišauskas, the participation of foreign Lithuanians could have been stimulated by social media and a more active information field, allowing easy access to information and staying relevant.
According to J. Novagrockienė, a considerable electoral turnout in metropolitan districts can be favorable for conservatives and Social Democrats.
Although, according to political scientists, it is difficult to say who came to vote early or which groups in society were more active in cities, they tended to believe that more active voting in urban districts and early voting could lead to higher turnout. Of the youngs.
“In fact, the young people were interested and active enough,” said J. Novagrockienė.
According to data from the Central Electoral Commission, voter turnout in the first round of the Seimas elections reached 47.6 percent. – three percentage points less than four years ago.
On election day 35.42 percent voted. voters, 66.36 percent abroad. Together with foreign votes, that would be 35.96 percent.
Another 11.64 percent. Voters voted early, due to the coronavirus pandemic, early voting instead of the usual two was extended to four days.
In the 2016 Seimas elections, 50.64 percent voted. voters. Of this number, 6.65% had expressed their wishes in advance. voters. 2 million signed up on the final voter rolls. 514 thousand 657 voters.
During the 2012 Seimas elections, turnout reached 52.93 percent and there were 2 million voters on the voter rolls. 588,418 voters. In the early voting, then, 5.51 percent expressed their will. voters.
In the 2008 elections, the overall turnout was 48.59%, of which 3.99% was on early voting and 2 million on voter lists. 696 thousand 90 voters.
Elections in Lithuania through the eyes of foreign media: “a tense struggle is boiling over”
According to international media, Lithuanians who participated in this year’s Seimas elections were most concerned about the government’s reaction to the coronavirus situation and problems of social inequality.
“Lithuanians are encouraged to bring their pens to minimize the risk of contagion in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, which are seen as a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis’ handling of the coronavirus crisis,” the news agency reported British Reuters.
According to Reuters, many people in Lithuania are “outraged by income inequality, despite rapid economic growth since 2004, when Lithuania joined the European Union.”
French agency Agence France Presse (AFP) notes that elections in Lithuania are overshadowed by a record jump in coronavirus cases.
“There is a tense battle between the governing center-left coalition, which defends its deal with the pandemic, and the conservatives in the opposition. The electoral contestants promise to reduce the economic and educational gap between the rural and urban population,” says AFP.
The US agency Bloomberg described these parliamentary elections as the most unpredictable in many years.
“Despite the fact that the Lithuanian economy affected by coronavir should outperform all other members of the European Union except one, this year, polls suggest that Prime Minister S. Skvernelis may have to fight for the right to form a new government, “writes Bloomberg.
The agency also says that many Lithuanians are unhappy with the distribution of the benefits of European integration, and the second round of elections will be even more difficult to predict in two weeks.
The American Associated Press is putting a similar emphasis.
“The recent increase in COVID-19 cases, the virus-related rise in unemployment and economic challenges are the main issues criticized by the current coalition government,” the AP wrote.
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