Nevertheless the predictions, Presidential election results in Lithuania will always be remembered as historical ones. Never before have had Lithuanians reelected their President for the second term. And even though, some suspense over the outcome remained until the first polls released their preliminary results, President Dalia Grybauskaite proved that she still has support of the majority of Lithuanians. Grybauskaitė 57,87% – Balcytis 40.14% these are the final results released by the Central Electoral Commission on the early morning of the 26th of May.
After the first round in which the citizens decided that they want to see the presidential duel taking place between D. Grybauskaite and Z. Balcytis, the socialdemocrat presidential candidate, the candidates had two weeks to win over the hearts and minds of Lithuanians who returned to the polls for the second presidential round on the same day as the European Parliament elections. Some political commentators were not so eager to give the victory over to Grybauskaite and painted various pictures in which they saw the victory of the socialdemocrat candidate and the 2009-2014 member of the European Parliament – Zigmantas Balcytis. Many, however, including the bloggers, shared memes in which Z. Balcytis was portrayed as a very unhappy President, for in case of the victory, he would have had to give up the more profitable position of the MEP and burry his dream to be nominated to the European Commission. On election night, his wife smiled as if he had just won a landslide.
For socialdemocrats the nigh of the 25th of May will be remembered as one of the worst nights ever. Not only did their candidate lose the presidential race, but their hopes and predictions to gain one more seat at the European Parliament elections and have 4 MEP’s turned out to them losing one seat and exiting the elections with 2 MEP’s. The same number of seats as the two opposition political parties: the conservatives and the liberals won each.
For the Lithuanian Liberals the night was an epic one with never seen before 16.52 % they gained a seat winning 2 mandates overall. Antanas Guoga a former poker player and an entrepreneur together with Petras Austrevicius, former chief negotiator for Lithuania with the European Union will join the ALDE group with the new round of MEP’s who will be known as members of the 2014-2019 European Parliament. Liberal voters proved to be active in rearranging the party list which resulted that the leader of the Liberal list – Gintaras Steponavicius, former Minister of Science and Education and a current MP was pushed down to the 4th place after the preferential votes were cast. Nevertheless, Liberals are celebrating. Celebrating their 16.52%; celebrating their 2 mandates; and celebrating the strong 3rd position in the overall results.
Lithuania will have 11 MEP’s in the EP of 2014-2019, Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (EPP) with 17.39%, Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (S&D) with 17.27% and Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania (ALDE) as well as Party „Order and Justice“ (EFD) with 14.27% will have 2 MEPs each. 3 more MEPs will come from the Labour Party (ALDE) with 12.83%, Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and the Russian Alliance ‘Block of Valdemar Tomaševski’ (ECR) with 8.06% and the novices Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union with 6.62%. The later has not had an MEP in the EP 2009-2014 and will most likely be seen in the Greens/European Free Alliance.
Of 11 MEP’s only 3 are reelected for the second term: A.Saudargas (EPP), V.Blinkeviciute (S&D) and R.Paksas (EFD). Viktor Uspaskich (ALDE) will also return to the European Parliament after giving the seat up in 2012 to take the seat in Lithuanian Parliament in order to get a few more months of parliamentary immunity and postpone his trials. Of those 11 Lithuania will only have 1 female MEP.
