Farmers and Greens endorse Nausėda in second round of presidential election

The Council of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) has announced that the party will endorse incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda in the runoff voting of the 2024 presidential election. On 26 May, Nausėda will face off against Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, the nominee of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD).

„Today this is the only possible way to show to the current government that their policies, which are shaped and implemented by the Šimonytė-led Government, are disapproved by the absolute majority [of people],“ says LVŽS leader Ramūnas Karbauskis.

On 12 May, Nausėda secured 43.95% of votes in the first round, while Šimonytė was the runner-up with 20.05%.

According to Karbauskis, Nausėda’s victory in the first round by a high margin of votes may result in fewer voters coming to the ballots in the second round. The ex-MP stresses that only high turnout in runoff voting would guarantee Nausėda’s victory, whereas Conservative voters will surely mobilise and come to support Šimonytė.

In the first round, the LVŽS had endorsed the candidacy of lawyer Ignas Vėgėlė.