Page 21 - Central & Southeast Outlook 2020

2.5 ​Politics - Lithuania
Like 2019, which saw the election of former banker Gitanas Nauseda as president, ​2020 is an election year with the next parliamentary elections due to take place in October.
Lithuania’s current ruling coalition initially comprised the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS) and the Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (SDLP), but was expanded after the two parties performed poorly in the presidential and European Parliament elections in mid-2019, adding the “Order and Justice and the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania - Christian Families Alliance (EAPL-CFA).
Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said after failing to reach the run-off in the presidential election in July 2019 that he would stand down, but he later changed his mind and remains in the position. He continued working through 2019 despite receiving treatment for lymphoma.
Skvernelis and his government have been hit by scandals recently. At the beginning of December, Nausėda called on Skvernelis ask the ethics commission to look into a decision to allocate around €150,000 to pave a street close to the prime minister’s home. Transport and Communications Minister Jaroslav Narkevic has also been criticised for his decision to fire the management board of Lithuanian Post.
A survey by Vilmorus, published by daily Lietuvos Rytas, found in November that less than a quarter of the population trust political parties, with a strong loss of confidence since the previous month. 60.9% distrusted the parliament and 29% didn’t trust the government. The president got a higher rating with 64% saying they trusted him — but not as high as the 91.6% who said they trusted firefighters.
Concerning relations with its neighbours, Nato member Lithuania, like the other Baltic states, has troubled relations with Moscow, although Russia is Lithuania’s largest individual trade partner,
There are also tensions between Vilnius and Minsk over Belarus’ construction of the Astravyets Nuclear Power Plant. Construction of the plant has raised safety fears in Lithuania, but Vilnius hasn’t managed to get the other Baltic states on board for a boycott of electricity produced at the plant.
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