Union of Democrats "For Lithuania"

The Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" (Lithuanian: Demokratų sąjunga „Vardan Lietuvos“; DSVL) is a Lithuanian political party founded on January 29, 2022 by Saulius Skvernelis, former Prime Minister of Lithuania.[4] The party describes itself as being centre-left on economic policy and centre-right on socio-cultural issues.[1] Most of the party's members are former members of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union.

Union of Democrats "For Lithuania"
Demokratų sąjunga „Vardan Lietuvos“
AbbreviationDSVL
ChairmanSaulius Skvernelis
Vice ChairpeopleLinas Kukuraitis
Rima Baškienė
Ausma Miškinienė
Darius Jasaitis
Lukas Savickas
Tomas Tomilinas
Vytautas Bakas
Domas Griškevičius
Founded29 January 2022 (2022-01-29)
Split fromLithuanian Farmers and Greens Union
Membership3368 (2022)
IdeologyGreen conservatism[1]
Social conservatism
Social democracy[1][2]
Political positionCentre-left
European affiliationEuropean Green Party (since 2023)[3]
Colours  Blue
Seimas
16 / 141
European Parliament
0 / 11
Municipal councils
124 / 1,498
Mayors
5 / 60
Website
demokratai.lt

The party's name "For Lithuania" (Lithuanian: Vardan Lietuvos, literally In Lithuania's Name) is a reference to the final line of the national anthem of Lithuania, Tautiška giesmė.

History

Foundation

Saulius Skvernelis was appointed Prime Minister of Lithuania on 22 November 2016, supported by the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, and formed the Skvernelis Cabinet. Though elected to the Seimas in the 2016 election on the Farmer-Green list, he was an independent, and his conflict with the party's chairman Ramūnas Karbauskis led to speculation that he intended to form his own political party. In 2019, the Centre of Registers registered the name "Political Party "For the Fatherland"" (Lithuanian: Politinė partija „Tėvynės labui“), which was Skvernelis' election slogan during the 2019 presidential election, further fueling speculation.[5]

The Farmer-Greens lost the 2020 parliamentary election. Skvernelis and Karbauskis disagreed over the party's role as leader of the opposition, as well as the composition of their shadow cabinet, which Karbauskis sought to staff with party members loyal to him, leading to renewed speculation of an impending party split.[6] On 7 September 2021, Skvernelis and ten other members left the Farmer-Green parliamentary group and proclaimed the formation of the Democrats - For Lithuania parliamentary group (Lithuanian: Demokratai – vardan Lietuvos). They cited their opposition to the party's aggressive opposition stance and stated their interest to work as a constructive opposition.[7] Independent, previously Social Democratic parliamentarians Algirdas Butkevičius and Domas Griškevičius also joined the group.

The group announced its intention to reorganize into a political party, which caused numerous branches of the Farmer-Greens, as well as the mayors of Lazdijai, Šilutė and Neringa to leave the party and declare their intention to join.[8] It was also joined by former Minister of Environment Kęstutis Mažeika and European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius.[9] The party was founded on 29 January 2022, in a founding conference in Palanga.[10]

Activity

Immediately after foundation, DSVL became one of the leading parties in popularity polls, while the Farmer-Greens and the Labour Party both declined.[11] Over time, its support plateaued and slightly shrank due to competition with the Social Democrats.

It is one of three leading opposition parties in the Thirteenth Seimas of Lithuania.

In the 2023 municipal elections, the party won 6.68 percent of the vote, somewhat underperforming in comparison to the polls and ending up below the Farmers-Greens and the Social Democrats. Its strongest showings were in municipalities whose mayors and branches had defected to the party in 2021-2022.[12] It fielded a candidate in a by-election in the Raseniai-Kėdainiai constituency on 3 September 2023, but finished the worst of all the candidates, at 2.48 percent of the vote.[13]

On 17 June 2023, it announced its decision to join the European Green Party.[14]

Platform

The party describes itself as being centre-left on economic policy and centre-right on socio-cultural issues. It supports guaranteed minimum income, strengthening the traditional family, achieving climate neutrality by 2045 and decentralization.[1] In its program, it defines itself as centre-left, but maintains its focus on family values.[15]

The Union of Democrats is considered to be ideologically heterodox, and its founding members include former members of almost every previously existing Lithuanian political party. Many of its vice-chairpeople, including Ausma Miškinienė, Lukas Savickas, and Vytautas Bakas were close allies of Skvernelis in the Skvernelis Cabinet.[16] This has led to claims that the party was founded out of political opportunism and does not have an ideology beyond being elected to parliament.[17]

Electoral results

Municipal
Election Votes[lower-alpha 1]  % Council seats Mayors +/–
2023 78,052 6.68 (#5)
124 / 1,498
5 / 60
  1. Municipal council election votes.

2023 by-election
Constituency Candidate Votes  % Result[18]
Raseiniai-Kėdainiai Edvinas Demidavičius 230 2.48 (#8) Defeated

References
  1. Tracevičiūtė, Roberta. "Be intrigos – vedliu nauja partija pasirinko S.Skvernelį". 15min.lt.
  2. "Paaiškėjo įsteigtos Demokratų sąjungos "Vardan Lietuvos" valdymo organų nariai". www.lrytas.lt.
  3. "Demokratų sąjunga „Vardan Lietuvos" nusprendė siekti prisijungti prie Europos žaliųjų partijos". LRT televizija (in Lithuanian). 2023-06-17.
  4. Viluckas, BNS , Paulius. "Steigiama Demokratų sąjunga "Vardan Lietuvos", pirmininku išrinktas ekspremjeras S. Skvernelis". vz.lt.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Pankūnas, Gytis (2019-08-27). "Įrašas apie partiją „Tėvynės labui" užminė mįslę: naujos jėgos gimimas ar gudri strategija?". LRT (in Lithuanian).
  6. Baltrukevičius, Matas (2021-03-04). "Kodėl Skvernelio ir Karbauskio sąjunga gali žlugti?" (in Lithuanian).
  7. Gaučaite-Znutienė, Modesta (2021-09-07). "Meilė baigėsi – Skvernelis palieka „valstiečius" ir kuria savo frakciją". LRT (in Lithuanian).
  8. Jakubauskas, Ramūnas (2021-12-02). "Prie Skvernelio politinės jėgos nusprendė jungtis ir Lazdijų rajono „valstiečiai" kartu su mere Miškiniene". LRT (in Lithuanian).
  9. Viluckas, BNS , Paulius. "Steigiama Demokratų sąjunga "Vardan Lietuvos", pirmininku išrinktas ekspremjeras S. Skvernelis". vz.lt.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. Plikūnė, Daiva (2022-02-09). "Skvernelis su bendražygiais steigia naują partiją: Palanga pasirinkta neatsitiktinai". Delfi (in Lithuanian).
  11. Brunalas, Benas (2022-03-16). "Karas Ukrainoje neatpažįstamai keičia partijų reitingus". Delfi (in Lithuanian).
  12. "2023 m. kovo 5 d. savivaldybių tarybų ir merų rinkimai (I turas)". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 2023.
  13. "Balsavimo rezultatai vienmandatėje apygardoje". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 2023.
  14. "Demokratų sąjunga „Vardan Lietuvos" nusprendė siekti prisijungti prie Europos žaliųjų partijos". LRT televizija (in Lithuanian). 2023-06-17.
  15. "APIE MUS". Demokratai "Vardan Lietuvos".
  16. Salynė, Roberta (2022-01-28). "S.Skvernelio kariaunoje – įvairių politinių spalvų žmonės: kiek sėkminga bus tokia sąjunga?". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian).
  17. Jastramskis, Mažvydas (2022-02-03). "Kokia nauda iš Skvernelio partijos?". Delfi (in Lithuanian).
  18. "Balsavimo rezultatai vienmandatėje apygardoje". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 2023.
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