Nausėda calls AfD’s regional election victory a disappointment

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has described the far-right Alternative for Germany party’s victory in Sunday’s regional elections as a disappointment, LRT reported.

“I view it as a disappointment. Unfortunately, it was probably a disappointment that could have been predicted by looking at opinion polls and public sentiment in Germany,” Nausėda said after meeting the Seimas board on Monday.

He said the AfD’s success showed that voters were assessing more than foreign policy. Although German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz has supported Ukraine, that was not enough to secure a different result.

Nausėda said he expected Germany’s policy towards Lithuania to remain “very friendly and constructive”. He also said he expected Germany and Lithuania to fulfil their commitments on infrastructure and preparations to receive a full-strength German brigade in Lithuania.

The president also expressed hope that the European Union would agree on a “strict” migration policy. In his view, more constructive discussions on migration at the European Council and other institutions could be one positive consequence of the AfD’s victory.

However, he warned that other changes could be less welcome, including a possible strengthening and tightening of Germany’s position on its contribution to the EU’s next financial framework.