Lithuania votes in a weekend general election with many looking for change despite good economy
Lithuania’s center-right coalition could be replaced by the opposition Social Democrats and smaller center-left parties when voters in the Baltic country go to the polls on Sunday
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Despite economic successes, Lithuania’s center-right coalition could be replaced by the opposition Social Democrats and smaller center-left parties when voters in the Baltic country go to the polls on Sunday.
Strict COVID-19 measures and a migration influx from neighboring Belarus have cast shadows over conservative Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė's government, which took office in 2020.
Although European Union member Lithuania has seen annual double-digit personal income growth and has one of the lowest inflation rates in the 27'nation bloc, most voters don't seem to be impressed by these factors.
“The situation in the economy is far better than for example during the hardships of 2008-2010, but people rarely attribute the gain in personal wealth to the political leadership” said Nerijus Mačiulis, an economist at Swedbank. He referred to the global financial crisis, which hit the Baltic states hard and led to austerity measures.
