Lithuania’s top diplomat Landsbergis to step away from politics after election defeat

The FM has vocally supported Ukraine's resistance against Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion.

Oct 29, 2024 - 01:00

Gabrielius Landsbergis, chairman of Lithuania’s conservative party and the country’s foreign minister, is planning to take a break from politics after his party lost the second round of parliamentary elections Sunday.

“The voters’ signal is quite clear, both for the party and for me personally, and it would be a mistake not to hear it,” Landsbergis said during a press conference Monday.

“Having heard the signal, which I take very seriously, I am taking the decision to step down today as chairman of the Homeland Union — Lithuanian Christian Democrats,” he added.

Landsbergis, who has been Lithuania’s foreign minister since December 2020, has vocally supported Ukraine’s resistance against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion.

Lithuania’s opposition Social Democratic Party (LSDP) won parliamentary elections Sunday, pushing out Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and her incumbent Homeland Union — Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD).

The center-left LSDP secured a decisive 52-seat majority, positioning it to lead the government. Meanwhile, the center-right TS-LKD saw a significant drop, winning only 28 seats compared to the 49 held after the 2020 elections.

Landsbergis announced that he will take a break from politics and pass on the mandate in the parliament to the next politician on his party’s list. He will leave his role as the country’s foreign minister after the new government is formed.

“As the signal is not only to the political force but also to me personally, I am taking the decision to take a break in my political career and to pass on the mandate, which I am very grateful to the electorate for, to the next colleague on the list,” he said.

Back in August, Landsbergis halted his widely expected bid to be a European commissioner. The move came amid a bitter rift between Landsbergis, one of the Baltic region’s most well-known political figures, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda who refused to support him.