Most Democratic Union branches nominate Sinkevičius for chair

The majority of branches of Lithuania’s ruling Democratic Union “For Lithuania” have nominated acting party leader Virginijus Sinkevičius as their candidate for chair, the party announced on Friday.

Out of 46 branches, 40 backed the MEP, while four branches proposed Health Minister Linas Kukuraitis. One branch each nominated former Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius and energy minister candidate Lukas Savickas.

Friday marked the deadline for branches to submit nominations. The final decision will be made at the party’s congress on 25 July, where delegates will also elect deputy chairs and renew the party’s governing bodies.

“The congress will be an important opportunity for Democrats to define priorities for the coming year and give a mandate to the newly elected leaders to implement the party’s programmatic provisions,” the party said in a statement.

The congress will take place as Democrats begin work in a new ruling majority, where the party’s representatives have been entrusted to lead the Energy, Health, and Agriculture ministries.

As previously reported by BNS, the Democrats have been without a permanent leader since Saulius Skvernelis, who had led the party since its founding, faced suspicion in a corruption case at the Plant Growing Service.

The Democratic Union “For Lithuania” was established on 29 January 2022 after a group of politicians split from the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union. The party currently has nearly 4,000 members and 13 representatives in the Seimas.