Presidential elections were held in Lithuania on 12 May 2024, alongside a referendum on allowing multiple citizenships. Incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda won re-election to a second term. When candidate registrations closed before the election, the had confirmed fifteen viable registrations; of those, twelve proceeded to collect signatures from the minimum 20,000 voters. Four of those contenders were later repudiated or dropped out, leaving eight on the ballot.
A second round was held on 26 May as no candidate received an absolute majority in the first round. This saw Nausėda and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė facing off in the runoff, a rematch of the 2019 election in which Nausėda had defeated Šimonytė. Nausėda won re-election, defeating Šimonytė in a second-round landslide with 75% of the vote – the largest margin of victory in a free election for any presidential candidate in the history of Lithuania.
Background
The Lithuanian president has somewhat more executive authority than their counterparts in neighboring Estonia and Latvia; the Lithuanian president's function is similar to that of the presidents of France and Romania. Similarly to them, but unlike presidents in a fully presidential system such as the United States, the Lithuanian president generally has the most authority in foreign affairs. In addition to the customary diplomatic powers of heads of state, namely receiving the letters of credence of foreign ambassadors and signing treaties, the president determines Lithuania's basic foreign policy guidelines. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and accordingly heads the State Defense Council and has the right to appoint the Chief of Defence (subject to Seimas consent).
The president has a significant role in domestic policy, possessing the right to submit bills to the Seimas and to veto laws passed by it, appointing the prime minister and approving the government formed by them, and also having the right to dissolve the Seimas and call snap elections following a successful motion of no confidence or if the Seimas refuses to approve the government's budget within sixty days. However, the next elected Seimas may retaliate by calling for an earlier presidential election. In addition, according to a resolution by the Constitutional Court of Lithuania in 1998, the president is required by law to nominate the candidate of the parliamentary majority to the office of prime minister.
The president also holds informal power, as the office of president is generally more trusted by the populace according to approval polling, and Lithuanian presidents historically blocked legislation and forced the resignation of prime ministers (such as Gediminas Vagnorius in 1998).
Electoral system The president is elected using the two-round system. To win in the first round, a candidate requires an absolute majority of all votes cast (including invalid votes) and either voter turnout to be above 50% or for their vote share to be equivalent to at least one-third of the number of registered voters. If no candidate wins in the first round, a second round is required, featuring the top two candidates. All candidates for president are independent. While some candidates belong to and/or are supported by a political party, the office of the president is formally non-partisan.
Citizens of Lithuania at least 40 years of age whose at least one parent was also a citizen (natural-born-citizen clause), who have lived in Lithuania for at least three years prior, are not serving a prison sentence, are not on active duty in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, are not bound to any other country by an oath and have never been impeached, are allowed to run for president. Each candidate must collect at least 20 thousand signatures by Lithuanian citizens to be able to run for election.
Candidates All pre-registered candidates were required to finalize the registration procedure by 8 March 2024, in order to commence the collection of signatures for the confirmation of their candidacy. Ten out of 15 candidates completed this before the start of the procurement phase. Two candidates managed to resolve it afterwards. Three other aspirants chose against launching a presidential bid or were eliminated due to the failure to complete the procedure before the deadline.
All declared candidates for president had to gather 20,000 signatures physically or online in order to be registered and present them by 28 March 2024 at . Four failed or dropped out in the process, so the following eight candidates appeared on the ballot on 12 May.
Name Born Experience Party Endorsed by Giedrimas Jeglinskas (age )Kaunas Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council (2022–present)Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Executive Management (2019–2022)Vice-Minister of Defence (2017–2019)Vice President in Corporate Banking at Citigroup (2010–2017) Independent Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" Andrius Mazuronis (age )Vilnius Deputy Speaker of the Seimas (2020–current)Member of the Seimas (2008–current) Labour Party Gitanas Nausėda (age )Klaipėda President of Lithuania (2019–current)Chief Economist to the Chairman of SEB bankas (2008–2018)Director of Monetary Policy at the Bank of Lithuania (1996–2000)rowspan="2" Independent Lithuanian Regions Party Social Democratic Party of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė (age )Vilnius Prime Minister of Lithuania (2020–current)2019 presidential candidateMember of the Seimas (2016–present) Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania (2013–2016)Minister of Finance (2009–2012) Homeland Union Eduardas Vaitkus (age )Kaunas Advisor to the Minister of Health (2005–2006)Professor at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (2002–2010) Independent Ignas Vėgėlė (age )Vilnius Member of the Court of Honor of Lawyers of Lithuania (2022–present)Chairman of the Lithuanian Bar Association (2014–2022)Professor at the Mykolas Romeris University (2010–present) rowspan="5" IndependentPeople and Justice UnionLithuanian Christian Democracy PartyChristian UnionLithuanian Farmers and Greens Union Dainius Žalimas (age )Vilnius Dean of the Faculty of the Law of Vytautas Magnus University (2021–present)President of Constitutional Court of Lithuania (2014–2021)Justice of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania (2011–2021)Advisor to the Minister of Defense (1998–2011) Independent Freedom Party Remigijus Žemaitaitis (age )Šilutė Member of the Seimas (2009–2024)
Withdrawn candidates Registered These individuals registered to run in the elections, but withdrew from the race before the first ballot. Candidates that withdrew until are eliglible to have their deposit refunded. They are also required to empty their campaign fund by refunding any remaining donations.
Name Born Experience Announced on Campaign Signaturespresented Withdrew on Arūnas Rimkus (age )KaunasYouTuber (2023–current)Member of the Šiauliai City Municipal Council (2015–2019)Psychiatrist at the (1988–1998; 2004–current)1,030 Valdas Tutkus(age )VilniusChief of Defence (2004–2009)Commander of the Lithuanian Land Forces (2001–2004)(Website)19,303 Aurelijus Veryga(age )Užventis, Kelmė mun.LVŽSMember of the Seimas (2016–present)Minister of Health (2016–2020)(Website)36,786 (age ), Klaipėda dist. mun.Editor-in-chief of "ŠIANDIEN" (2017–current)Member of the Seimas (2000–2004)766
Pre-registered Until 19 February 2024, any eligible citizen had the opportunity to freely register for the upcoming election and start receiving campaign donations. However, the period solely served as a declaration to run and does not grant the permit to commence the collection of signatures of support. Every declared candidate must complete registration by 8 March 2024, which includes payment of the election deposit.
Name Born Candidate of Experience Announced on Withdrew on Zenonas Andrulėnas(age ), Molėtai mun.Disqualified candidate for Director General of LRT in 2023TTS candidate for Seimas in 20207 December 20238 March 2024 Žilvinas Treigys(age 54)CEO of Glass Market (2000–current)19 February 20243 March 2024 Kęstutis MacevičiusRealtor (2006–current)1 February 20242 February 2024
Candidates that failed registration Andrej Deivis Ginevičas, Antanas Kandrotas, Irma Gajauskaitė, and Jonas Jankauskas were denied formal registration as candidates due to their failure to provide all relevant documents during the registration process.
Petras Gražulis was denied registration as a candidate due to his ineligibility for the office, as he had been impeached by the Seimas in 2023.
Potential candidates These individuals either considered a presidential bid or were proposed as potential candidates during the campaign.
Unregistered campaigns These persons had publicly launched their campaigns but refrained from attempting to register as candidates for the election. Name Born Experience Party endorsements Announced on Withdrew on Artūras Paulauskas(age )Vilnius2014, 2002–03, 1997–98 presidential candidateMember of the Seimas (2000–2008, 2012–2016)Acting President of Lithuania (2004)Speaker of the Seimas (2000–2006)Freedom and Justice (member of party)28 November 202331 January 2024 (age )Kazlų RūdaMayor of Kazlų Rūda (2019–present)Member of the Seimas (2008–2012)Lithuanian Regions Party24 September 202321 January 2024
Political parties Social Democratic Party of Lithuania On 3 February 2024, the Social Democrats decided to not nominate a presidential candidate for the first time since 1998 and endorsed Gitanas Nausėda in the election. Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Member of the European Parliament, party chairwoman, 2004 presidential candidate Gintautas Paluckas, Member of the Seimas, former party chairman Vytenis Andriukaitis, former EU Commissioner, 2019, 2002–03, 1997–98 presidential candidate Juozas Olekas, Member of the European Parliament Nerijus Cesiulis, Mayor of Alytus , Mayor of Akmenė, party vice-chairman Liutauras Gudžinskas, party vice-chairman
Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats All TS-LKD candidates withdrew after Šimonytė announced her bid. Gabrielius Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Member of the Seimas, party chairman Monika Navickienė, Minister of Social Security and Labour, Member of the Seimas, party vice-chairwoman Paulius Saudargas, Member of the Seimas, Vice-Speaker Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Member of the Seimas, chairman of the National Security Committee Arvydas Anušauskas, Minister of National Defence, Member of the Seimas
Labour Party The party elected Andrius Mazuronis to be its candidate. , Member of the Seimas
Liberal Movement The Liberal Movement decided to not nominate a candidate for the forthcoming elections, and also against endorsing any other contender. Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, party chairwoman (withdrew) Petras Auštrevičius, Member of the European Parliament, 2004 presidential candidate
Lithuanian Regions Party All candidates decline to participate in the election and the party declared support for Mantas Varaška. However, Valdas Tutkus launched a presidential bid on 5 October without the party.
The party eventually opted against fielding its own candidate. On 2 March 2024, it endorsed Nausėda. Živilė Pinskuvienė, Mayor of Širvintos (withdrew) Jonas Pinskus, Member of the Seimas, party chairman Valdas Tutkus, former Chief of Defence, former Commander of the Lithuanian Land Forces Andrius Palionis, Member of the Seimas
Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" The party elected Giedrimas Jeglinskas to be its candidate. Saulius Skvernelis, Member of the Seimas, party chairman, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, 2019 presidential candidate (declined) Linas Kukuraitis, Member of the Seimas (withdrew) Vytautas Bakas, Member of the Seimas Algirdas Butkevičius, Member of the Seimas, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, 2009 presidential candidate
Declined candidates Dalia Grybauskaitė, former President of Lithuania