Lithuania’s opposition Social Democrats (LSDP) had established a strong lead in the country’s general elections as voting ended on Sunday evening, with results from 770 precincts out of 1,947 reported at 10pm local time. This puts it in a strong position to form a ruling coalition.

In multi-mandate constituencies, the LSDP is currently leading with 26.28% of voter support, thus securing 25 mandates at least.  In second place is the upstart of the election, the radical right-wing “The Dawn of the River Neman” with 19.18% of votes, which translates into 18 mandates. 

The current ruling Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) is third with 10.49% of votes, which gives  the party at least 9 mandates in the 141-member Seimas, the Lithuanian legislature. 

In fourth place is the Democratic Union for the sake of Lithuania” (Vardan Lietuvos), led by former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis with 9.74%, which would secure them 9 mandates. Next in line is multi-millionaire agro mogul Ramunas Karbauskis’ Union of Lithuanian Peasants and Greens with 9 mandates also.

A total of 52.06% of eligible voters cast their ballots in the Seimas elections. voters. During the election of the Seimas four years ago, in 2020, the total turnout was 47.16%. 

The party list vote in the country-wide constituency will allocate 70 seats. A party must receive at least 5%, and a multi-party coalition at least 7%, of the national vote to qualify for the proportional representation seats.

As votes were being counted, the chairman of the ruling TS-LKD and foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that he “still continues to not give up the idea of ​​a possible broad coalition in which they would possibly cooperate with the Social Democrats”.

TS-LKD voters pushed down the country’s most unpopular politician, Landsbergis, from second to third place on the party’s electoral list. Landsbergis was overtaken by defence minister Laurynas Kasciunas. He rose to second place with 1,073 first-place votes against Landsbergis’ 839.

Although different pollsters report varying results, with discrepancies of up to 3pp, the top four contenders remained consistent until the election day: the LSDP, led by MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, “The Dawn of the River Neman,” the TS-LKD and For the sake of Lithuania.

In the 2020 Seimas elections, six parties surpassed the mandatory 5% threshold in the multi-member district.