Gitanas Nauseda Poised for Second Term Amid Security Concerns

Gitanas Nauseda appears set to secure a second term in Lithuania's presidential runoff, driven by a campaign focused on security issues. Nauseda, an economist and independent candidate, led the first round of voting. Both Nauseda and opponent Ingrida Simonyte emphasize the need for increased defense spending amid fears of Russian aggression.

Lithuanian Gitanas Nauseda looked set to secure a second term in office in a presidential election runoff on Sunday, partial results showed, following a campaign dominated by security concerns in the European Union and NATO member next to Russia. The Baltic nation of 2.8 million people has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion. Like other countries in the region, it worries it could be Moscow's next target.

Nauseda, 60, a former senior economist with Swedish banking group SEB who is not affiliated with any party, won the first round of the election on May 12 with 44% of the votes, short of the 50% he needed for an outright victory. Partial results with some 30% of ballots counted showed him winning 82% on Sunday, followed by Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, 49, from the ruling centre-right Homeland Union party that has been trailing in opinion polls. She was the only woman out of eight candidates in the first round and came second with 20%.

Just over half of Lithuanians believe a Russian attack is possible or even very likely, according to a ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai poll conducted between February and March. Russia has regularly dismissed concerns that it might attack a NATO member. Nauseda told a debate on Tuesday he sees Russia as an enemy. "Our enemies - who even call themselves our enemies, who are enemies of us and all the democratic world - are attempting to destabilise our politics, and we must do all to resist."

Both Nauseda and Simonyte support increasing defence spending to at least 3% of Lithuania's gross domestic product, from the 2.75% planned for this year.

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