Gitanas Nausėda Re-elected as Lithuania’s President in Landslide Amid Russia Fears

May 26, 2024, 09:26 PM

Lithuania's incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda has secured re-election in a landslide victory over Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė. The second round of the presidential election, held on Sunday, saw Nausėda leading with a significant margin. With 81.7% of the votes counted from about 29% of the ballots, Nausėda maintained a commanding lead, winning in 1,650 of 1,895 polling stations. The election was heavily influenced by security concerns, particularly related to Russia. Šimonytė conceded defeat as ongoing vote counting showed her trailing far behind. Nausėda, now Lithuania’s most popular politician, is set to begin his second five-year term.