site.btaNo Major Surprises in EP Elections in Lithuania, Most Future MEPs Pro-European

There were no big surprises at the elections in Lithuania, most future MEPs are pro-European, historian and political analyst Vуtautas Starikovicius said in an interview with BTA about the results of Sunday's European Parliament (EP) elections. 

"First I have to quote Ursula Von der Leyen, who promised a strong centre in the European Parliament. In the case of Lithuania the same thing happened, our elections were not very surprising. The centre-right forces won, as already known, but it was not a big surprise," the analyst said. According to Starikovicius, the conservatives of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats coalition, who were first in terms of votes, won because one of the main issues in Lithuania continues to be the war and the ongoing aggression against Ukraine. 

"So the forces that won are opposed to Russia and want Lithuania's voice to be heard and sanctions to be continued," he stressed. 

"The second important thing is that there are no big surprises - thank God no radicals, no fire from the left, no fire from the right. There are definitely some populists, but of the 11 Lithuanian representatives in the European Parliament who were elected, seven or eight are truly pro-European," he added. 

The analyst also noted the low voter turnout in Lithuania. "The sad thing is that the public was not very active in the elections. Only about 28% voted. On the other hand, according to all polls, they are very pro-European. So the elections are a reflection of the whole society. The winners are the centre-right, also the liberals," he said. 

"Historically, there are no surprises in priority policies and I am very happy about that. I think our national interest will definitely be on the agenda. It includes integration into the European Union, a very important thing for Lithuania, especially because of what is happening on our eastern borders. There are only two populists, but I do not think we have to worry about them. On the whole, the elections went without surprises. I am happy with the outcome," Vуtautas Starikovicius added.