Lithuania’s Social Democrats considered Blinkevičiūtė as 2024 presidential candidate

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) considered nominating MEP Vilija Blinkevičiūtė as its candidate in the 2024 presidential election, acting party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius told 15min on Friday, as reported by LRT.

Sinkevičius said internal assessments and polling suggested the party’s candidate would likely finish only second or third, while Blinkevičiūtė herself showed little interest in running. “At the time, it was no secret we discussed Blinkevičiūtė’s candidacy. We conducted research, analysed overlaps, but there wasn’t strong enthusiasm from Vilija herself, and projections placed us in second or third place with our own candidate,” he stated.

The party ultimately backed incumbent Gitanas Nausėda, a decision Sinkevičius called “correct and necessary.” He noted that the cooperation forged during the campaign has since improved relations between the Social Democrats and the presidency, despite their differing roles in government.

Looking ahead, the LSDP has pledged to field its own candidate in the 2029 presidential race, though Sinkevičius declined to confirm whether he would seek the nomination. In February, he told Žinių Radijas he was not preparing for a presidential bid.

Lithuania’s next presidential election is scheduled for 2029, with Nausėda currently serving his second term.