The Albany Gazette - Lithuania's centre left starts coalition talks after election win

Her Social Democratic Party came first with 52 seats in the 141-seat parliament after a campaign dominated by living costs concerns and fears of security threats from neighbouring Russia.

Blinkeviciute, a centre-left veteran who has spent her entire career in the public sector, said her party would open coalition talks with Democratic Union "In the Name of Lithuania" and Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union.

"We will establish negotiating teams that will work together to coordinate party agendas and joint actions," Blinkeviciute told reporters on Monday.

She refused, however, to confirm if she would take the prime minister role if the coalition is forged.

"The Social Democrats are not a one-man party," she said, adding it would select its candidate to lead the future government later this week.

The incoming coalition that would replace the conservative party currently in power is expected to spend more on social services and raise pensions.

But it already promised to maintain the nation's strong support for Ukraine amidst regional security concerns related to neighbouring Russia.

Many of Lithuania's 2.8 million people fear the Baltic state could be targeted if Moscow succeeds in the war it has waged in Ukraine.

Lithuania is among the top NATO spenders, allocating 3.2 percent of its GDP to defence this year, well above the NATO target of two percent, and the centre left has pledged to raise it up to 3.5 percent.

"This will probably be inevitable... Security and defence will be funded as much as necessary," Blinkeviciute said, adding that continuity in the foreign policy and defence was "essential".

- Anti-semitism controversy -

The ruling conservative party finished a distant second with 28 parliamentary seats.

This outcome prompted the chairman and foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis to step down and resign from the parliamentary seat he won, stating he would take a break from politics.

"The voters' signal is quite clear, both for the party and for me personally, and it would be wrong not to hear it," Landsbergis told reporters.

The election was marked by controversy surrounding a new populist party, Nemunas Dawn, led by former long-time lawmaker Remigijus Zemaitaitis.

The party won 20 seats, according to the results, but was likely to be kept out of the coalition.

Zemaitaitis told reporters on Monday Nemunas Dawn would support proposals which correspond to their election pledges, but "will oppose illogical decisions that do not benefit the country".

Last year, Zemaitaitis gave up his seat in parliament after facing criticism over alleged anti-Semitic comments.

He is currently on trial for incitement to hatred, although he denied the charges, claiming he only criticised the Israeli government's policies in Gaza.

(B.Smith--TAG)