Landsbergis: PM has not shown much ambition to become Conservative party’s leader

Leader of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrat party (TS-LKD) Gabrielius Landsbergis recently told the news agency ELTA that “candidates were lining up” to become the next chairperson of the TS-LKD. Landsbergis, who has led the Conservative party for two terms in a row, said he would not stand as a candidate to continue chairing the party. Meanwhile, according to MP Paulius Saudargas, it does not seem that Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė would be a potential candidate to become the party’s next leader.

“The decision is for Ingrida to make. So far, I have not seen signs of her showing ambition to become the party’s chairwoman,” Saudargas said in an interview to the radio Žinių Radijas on Wednesday.

The MP pointed out that the next election of the Conservative leader is in two years. Whereas if Šimonytė were to run for the position, she would have to join the TS-LKD officially as she is not a member despite working with the party for over a decade.

Saudargas reiterated that a person who is not a member of the party cannot run in its leadership election and the individual would have to be a member for at least a year before assuming any leading position in the party.

The Conservative party’s leadership election should take place after the 2024 parliamentary race.

In the 2020 parliamentary election, Šimonytė was the leading candidate on the TS-LKD list, while its leader Landsbergis was listed second.

Šimonytė was the runner up in the 2019 presidential election. She finished with 33.04% of votes in the second round while Gitanas Nausėda was elected the president with 65.68% of votes.