Vying to become Lithuania’s next president
VILNIUS: Lithuanians go to the polls to elect a new president after a campaign dominated by concerns over growing social inequality in the eurozone Baltic state.
Following are snapshots of the top three candidates.
Simonyte: liberal with austerity past
Economist Ingrida Simonyte was thrust into the public spotlight when she was appointed to oversee biting austerity measures during the 2009 global financial crisis.
She drew sharp criticism for deep cuts to public salaries and state pensions, but her supporters insist bold actions helped the economy to return to growth the following year without a currency devaluation.
After conservatives lost elections to leftists in 2012, Simonyte was a central bank deputy governor in 2013-2016, before winning a seat in parliament in 2016.
Charming the media with her sharp sense of humour, Simonyte is also an open supporter of gay rights and has many followers among young, urban and liberal voters.
Skvernelis: top cop turned premier
Skvernelis joined the police force as a beat officer in 1998, working his way up to deputy national commander after a decade, then police chief in 2011.
Skvernelis launched his political career in 2014 by swapping his uniform for a suit and the office of the interior minister.
He became a prime minister after leading the list of the centre-left Lithuanian Farmers and Green Union in the 2016 elections.
Skvernelis has positioned himself as an alternative to business and political elites, pledged to continue fighting corruption and offered generous spending to combat poverty. These measures have won him considerable popularity in rural areas and among older voters.
Nauseda: a moderate voice
Gitanas Nauseda is a political novice who spent most his career in commercial banking, most recently as an adviser to the president of Lithuania’s top bank.
For the last decade, he has been in the public eye as an articulate commentator on economic and financial matters, and kept a moderate stance on almost all issues.
The 54-year-old is not backed by any major political force and has positioned himself as a figure of compromise, while also describing his views as centre-right. — AFP