The Homeland Union - Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), the main opposition party, headed by Gabrielius Landsbergis, with Ingrida Simonyte as its leader in this election, came first in the first round of parliamentary elections on October 11 in Lithuania. The party received 24.8% of the vote and won 23 seats in the 70 constituencies that voted by proportional representation. The right-wing opposition thus overtook the Farmers' and Green Party (LVZS), headed by Ramunas Karbaukis and led in this election by outgoing Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, which won 17.5% of the vote and 16 seats. The party's two partners in government - the Social Democratic Labour Party (LSDDP) of Gediminas Kirkilas and the Polish Electoral Action - Alliance of Christian Families (LLRA-KSS) led by Waldemar Tomaszewski and Rimantas Dagy - both failed to reach the threshold of 3% of the vote (5% for a coalition) required for representation in the Seimas, the single chamber of parliament. They obtained 4.82% and 3.17% of the votes respectively.

On the left, the Social Democratic Party (LSP), led by Gintautas Paluckas, won 9.47% of the vote and 9 seats ahead of the Labour Party (DP), led by Viktor Ouspaskich, which won 9.26% of the vote and 8 seats.

The Freedom and Justice Party (Laisves ir teisingumo), a social-liberal party created in 2019 and led by Ausrine Armonaite, won its wager and entered the Seimas with 9.02% of the vote and 8 seats. Finally, the Liberal Movement (LRLS) of Eugenijus Gentvilas obtained 6.79% of the votes and 6 seats.

Fewer than half of the voters turned out for these unusual legislative elections (there were fewer meetings and debates than usual due to the measures taken to combat the virus): turnout was 47.52%, or -3.12 points compared to the previous legislative elections of October 9 and 23, 2016. 40,000 Lithuanians living abroad, who were represented in a specific constituency for the first time, fulfilled their civic duty. Four years ago, there were 19,000 of them.

Results of the first round of the general election in Lithuania (proportional vote)

Turnout: 47.52%

Source : https://www.vrk.lt/en/2020-seimo/rezultatai

The right-wing opposition thus dominated the first round of voting, but the Farmers' and Greens Party has not yet lost.

The second round will be held on October 25 in each of the 71 single-member constituencies that nominate their MPs in the majority vote where no candidate has obtained a majority, i.e. in 68 of them since only 3 candidates were elected in the first round: Ingrida Simonyte (TS-LKD) in Antakalnio, Ceslav Olsevski (LLRA-KSS) in Medininku and Beata Petkevic (LLRA-KSS) in Vilnius (Salcininku).

"In the second round, many of our candidates are in a position to win in the single-member constituencies. We can therefore be moderately optimistic about the final outcome of the parliamentary elections. However, we are only at the end of the first half and we have to play the game until the end," said Ingrida Simonyte at the announcement of the results.

The former Finance Minister (2009-2012) said she was ready to form a government coalition based on an agreement on education and health, two sectors that she wants to deeply reform. She has indicated that she wants to form a parity government.

"Some of our opponents chose to systematically oppose rather than compete with our ideas, which created a negative atmosphere during the election campaign. Our objective was to get as little involved as possible in such battles," said Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the Homeland Union - Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), explaining the party's success in the first round.

Although nothing is yet decided, the leader of the Farmers' and Greens Party, Ramunas Karbaukis, said he had serious doubts that his party could stay in power. Yet the outgoing government had put in place many measures to support the population to cope with the economic crisis: businesses have received significant aid, pensioners received financial support in September, on the eve of the legislative elections. The plan for the country's economic future presented on May 20 by Finance Minister Vilius Sapoka (independent), which provides for €6.3 billion to be invested before the end of 2021, and the slight contraction of the economy (4% in the second quarter, the second best performance among the EU Member States) do not however seem to have convinced the Lithuanians to renew their confidence in the team that has headed the country for the past 4 years.