27 May 2024 , 09:50
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Incumbent, who beat challenge from prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė, says Lithuania’s independence a ‘fragile vessel that we must cherish’
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda has won re-election, official results showed, in a vote marked by defence concerns over neighbouring Russia.
The count published by the electoral commission showed that Nausėda won 74.6% of votes with 90% of ballots counted after polls closed on Sunday in the second-round vote.
Voters “have handed me a great mandate of trust and I am well aware that I will have to cherish this,” Nausėda, 60, told journalists in Vilnius.
“Now that I have five years of experience, I believe that I will certainly be able to use this jewel properly, first of all to achieve the goals of welfare for all the people of Lithuania,” he said.
His opponent, prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė, won 23.8% of the vote and congratulated Nausėda in comments to reporters.
The Lithuanian president steers defence and foreign policy, attending EU and Nato summits, but must consult with the government and parliament on appointing the most senior officials.
While the candidates agree on defence, they share diverging views on Lithuania’s relations with China, which have been strained for years over Taiwan.
Both candidates agree that the Nato and EU member of 2.8 million people should boost defence spending to counter the perceived threat from Russia, and to that end the government’s recently proposed a tax increase.
“Lithuania’s independence and freedom is like a fragile vessel that we must cherish, protect and prevent from cracking,” Nausėda told journalists late Sunday.
“With the re-election of Gitanas Nausėda, we will see continuity in foreign and security policy, areas where the president will try to remain active,” Rima Urbonaite, a political analyst at Mykolas Romeris university, told AFP.
Vilnius fears it could be next in the crosshairs if Moscow were to win its war against Ukraine.
Lithuania is a significant donor to Ukraine, which has been battling Russia since the 2022 invasion. It is already a big defence spender, with a military budget equal to 2.75% of GDP.
It intends to purchase tanks and additional air defence systems, and to host a German brigade, as Berlin plans to complete the stationing of about 5,000 troops by 2027.
Pensioner Ausra Vysniauskiene said she voted for Nausėda.
“He’s an intelligent man, he speaks many languages, he’s educated, he’s a banker,” the 67-year-old told AFP.
“I want men to lead, especially when the threat of war is so big.”
Šimonytė, the 49-year-old candidate of the ruling conservatives, was running for president again after losing to Nausėda in the last presidential ballot.
The uneasy relationship between Nausėda and Šimonytė’s conservatives has at times triggered foreign policy debates, most notably on Lithuania’s relations with China.
Bilateral ties turned tense in 2021, when Vilnius allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy under the island’s name – a departure from the common diplomatic practice of using the name of the capital Taipei to avoid angering Beijing.
China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of its territory, downgraded diplomatic relations with Vilnius and blocked its exports, leading some Lithuanian politicians to urge a restoration of relations for the sake of the economy.
Nausėda advocated changing the name of the representative office, while Šimonytė pushed back.
But voters also cited personal differences between the candidates, as well as economic policy and human rights.
Šimonytė drew support from liberal voters in bigger cities and traditional conservative voters.
A fiscal conservative with liberal views on social issues, she notably supports same-sex partnerships, a controversial issue in the predominantly Catholic country.
“I would like to see faster progress, more openness … more tolerance for people who are different from us,” she said when casting an early vote.
Nausėda, who maintains a moderate stance on nearly all issues, has established himself as a promoter of the welfare state, with conservative views on gay rights.