Lithuania elects its 11 MEPs - BNS REVIEW

VILNIUS – Lithuania elected eleven members of the European Parliament on Sunday.

Preliminary figures from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) show that the seats were shared between eight political parties.

Here are the elected Lithuanian MEPs:

ANDRIUS KUBILIUS. A seasoned politician with a background in physics, Kubilius served as prime minister from 2008 to 2012, leading Lithuania out of an economic and financial crisis. The 67-year-old member of the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) had been a MP since 1992 and was elected for his first term as an MEP in 2019.

RASA JUKNEVICIENE. The 66-year-old conservative served as defense minister in Kubilius' government and has also been an MEP since 2019. She is a signatory of Lithuania's 1990 Independence Act.

PAULIUS SAUDARGAS. The 45-year-old is a leader of the HU-LCD's Christian Democratic wing, often opposing the party's more liberal leadership. He was elected as a single-member constituency MP in the current Seimas, meaning that his departure to the European Parliament will cost the conservatives a parliamentary seat, further complicating the ruling coalition's already fragile majority in the parliament.

VILIJA BLINKEVICIUTE. Popular among Lithuanians since her work as social security and labor minister in the early 2000s, the politician has brought her Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) back to the top of the party rankings. With the Social Democrats seen as favorites to win the Seimas elections in October, their 64-year-old politician, an MEP since 2009, has yet to announce whether she will run for the parliament in October and potentially serve as prime minister or stay in Brussels.

VYTENIS POVILAS ANDRIUKAITIS. Initially fourth on the Social Democrats' list, the 72-year old was propelled to second place by preference votes. He has not held political office in recent years, having served as European commissioner for health and food safety from 2014 to 2019, and previously as Lithuanian health minister. He is a signatory of Lithuania's 1990 Independence Act.

AURELIJUS VERYGA. The 47-year-old rose to fame in Lithuania when, as health minister between 2016 and 2020, he led the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union's efforts to tighten alcohol control policies. Veryga was also a prominent figure during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. He became the leader of the Farmers and Greens' list for the European Parliament elections after withdrawing his presidential candidacy in favor of lawyer Ignas Vegele.

DAINIUS ZALIMAS. Despite Zalimas' finishing fifth out of eight candidates in May's presidential election, the Freedom Party's stronger performance in Sunday's European Parliament elections was anticipated. The 51-year-old served as president of the Constitutional Court from 2014 to 2021, and is currently the dean of the Faculty of Law at Vytautas Magnus University. 

VIRGINIJUS SINKEVICIUS. Elected on the ticket of the Democratic Union "For Lithuania", Sinkevicius has served as the European commissioner for environment, oceans, and fisheries for the past five years. The politician, who is now 33 years old, held the post of Lithuania's economy and innovation minister before becoming the youngest ever European commissioner in 2019. 

WALDEMAR TOMASZEWSKI. A long-time MEP since 2009, Tomaszewski was re-elected despite doubts about his party's prospects. The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance failed to cross the electoral threshold for the Seimas in 2020 and lost the Vilnius district mayoral elections in 2023. On election day, the 59-year-old wore a T-shirt with the slogan "Let's respond to God's love."

PETRAS GRAZULIS. Winning an MEP seat was Grazulis' only chance to get a political office after being impeached from the Seimas last year for voting on behalf of another MP.  The Lithuanian Supreme Court last year also upheld a conviction against the 65-year-old in the Judex frozen food case. He is also standing trial for incitement of hatred after making derogatory remarks about the LGBTIQ community in the Seimas in 2022. 

PETRAS AUSTREVICIUS. A diplomat at the start of Lithuania's independence, Austrevicius later served as chancellor of the government and was the chief negotiator for Lithuania's EU accession from 2001 to 2004. The 61-year-old member of the Liberal Movement representative has been serving as an MEP since 2014.