Lithuanians voted yesterday to elect their president. Nearly 60% of voters turned out, an increase in participation compared to the previous election. Outgoing President Gitanas Nauseda came first, with 46% of the vote, far ahead of Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
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With our correspondent in Vilnius, Marielle Vitureau
It was a close call and Gitanas Nauseda could have won the presidential election by Lithuania from the first round. In five years in office, he has always managed to maintain his popularity almost intact despite blatant errors. He also benefited from the support of the Social Democrats. This party, which is the most popular in Lithuania, decided not to present any candidate and to support the outgoing president.
Responsible in particular for foreign policy, he draws a positive assessment of his mandate: “ Lithuania is very active on the international scene, I can recall the organization of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Lithuania supports Ukraine with determination and our voice is heard. »
Elected in 2019, campaigning on the theme of prosperity, he also indicated that he wanted to continue to reduce inequalities in the country. In two weeks, Gitanas Nauseda will face Ingrida Simonyte in the second round, the very direct and caustic Prime Minister, credited with 14% of the votes. In power for four years, she has had to face a succession of crises: Covid-19, migrants and the war in Ukraine which have seriously damaged her popularity.
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