I. Šimonytė became the conservative candidate for president: even D. Grybauskaitė withdrew

The celebration has already happened

“Primary elections have just taken place at this presidium meeting,” G. Lanbdsbergis told reporters at the end of the TS-LKD presidium meeting on Wednesday evening.

According to him, the party council will finally approve the candidate.

“The essential discussion took place now. The candidates, assessing the prime minister’s best opportunities to represent those values ​​that are relevant to all party members, supported I. Šimonytė,” said the chairman of TS-LKD.

The branches of the party had proposed a total of 23 politicians who could become its presidential candidate.

All others, except the prime minister, withdrew their candidacy. Among them is the outgoing president Dalia Grybauskaitė.

“The (Democracy – BNS) holiday is celebrated, we have the winner of the holiday,” joked TS-LKD member, Seimas Vice-Chairman Paulius Saudargas after the presidium meeting.

According to him, I. Šimomytė is a strong candidate who has already participated in the presidential elections, therefore she has experience and performed well – in 2019, she made it to the second round of the presidential elections.

According to G. Landsbergis, TS-LKD supporters who lost the opportunity to participate in the primary elections will be able to express their will during the actual presidential elections.

The primary election of the TS-LKD presidential candidate is scheduled for November 11 and 12, now only the ranking of the list of conservative candidates for the European Parliament will take place at that time.

He emphasized that he is not radical

I. Šimonytė told reporters in the Seimas on Wednesday that she sees herself as a representative of the “pro-European right, which is not radical in any way”.

“There will probably be a lot of radical rhetoric or more radical candidates. There will undoubtedly be a lot of candidates on the left side, because people somehow like to classify themselves on the left side, because maybe they think that the majority of the voters are like that and it somehow resonates,” said the Prime Minister.

Paulius Peleckis/BNS photo/Ingrida Šimonytė

“The right must have its own candidate and a candidate who is not a radical, moderate, pro-European person,” she added.

The head of the government said that she was ready to participate with her colleagues in debates during the primary elections.

“I appreciate the decision of my colleagues. Certainly not my pressure, not the decision of the party leadership, not something (which led to the refusal of others – BNS). Probably the party leadership would not be able to say that it knew about my decision. In this way, he could not refuse to interview other candidates”, asserted I.Šimonytė.

Probably the party leadership would not be able to say that it knew about my decision. In this way, he could not refuse to interview other candidates.

According to her, the leadership of TS-LKD found out about her determination to seek the nomination of the party’s candidate on Wednesday, and she made her decision a little earlier.

He doesn’t talk about victory

I. Šimonytė said that she does not think that it will be difficult to combine the presidential election campaign with the duties of the prime minister, because it will only start when all the candidates are announced.

“It seems to me that former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis took a vacation when the campaign was already in full swing, so I will do exactly the same and I really think that I will agree,” asserted the Head of the Government.

When asked what expectations are placed on her during the elections, I.Šimonytė said that “these are not five-year plans”.

“Elections always have some surprises, a lot depends on things we don’t know now. I think that the goals are always the same – to perform the best,” she said.

Presidential elections in Lithuania will be held in the spring of 2024. According to public opinion polls, the current president Gitanas Nausėda is the clearest favorite among them, lawyer Ignas Vėgėlė and Prime Minister I. Šimonytė are also in the top three.

G. Nausėda and I. Vēgėlė promise to announce their decisions on participation in the elections later this year.

The Union of Lithuanian Peasants and Greens is nominating the former Minister of Health Protection, Member of the Seimas, Aurelijas Verygas, the Mayor of Kazlų Rūda, Mantas Varaška, has announced his candidacy, and he is supported by the Party of Regions of Lithuania.

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