(27 Oct 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vilnius – 27 October 2024
1. Party members and journalists awaiting the arrival of Social Democratic Party leader Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
2. Cameras awaiting Blinkevičiūtė’s to approach
3. Various of party members chatting as they await for Blinkevičiūtė to arrive
4. Party members and journalists greeting Blinkevičiūtė with flowers and loud shouts
5. SOUNDBITE (Lithuanian) Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, leader of Social Democratic Party:
“The election results really showed that Lithuanian people, no matter where they live in big cities, towns or villages, they want change, they need a completely different government. Not arrogant, hearing their problems, looking for solutions to those problems. In other words, the people of Lithuania chose and made their decision by casting many votes both in the first round for us, the Social Democrats, and now there are really excellent results in the second round.”
6. Close of microphones
7. SOUNDBITE (Lithuanian) Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, leader of Social Democratic Party:
“I can say in front of all of Lithuania that as the chairman of the Social Democratic Party, I take full responsibility and form the ruling majority together with the president.”
8. Blinkevičiūtė talking with journalists and colleagues
STORYLINE:
The leader of the Social Democratic Party announced on Sunday that her party is leading in the polls for Lithuania’s second and final round of parliamentary elections.
Voters headed to the ballots, as strict COVID-19 measures during the pandemic, political scandals involving several key members of the Cabinet, and an influx of migrants from neighboring Belarus have hurt the popularity of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė’s government, which took office in 2020.
"No matter where they live in big cities, towns or villages, they want change, they need a completely different government," said Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, leader of Social Democratic Party.
She added that she will soon take "full responsibility and form the ruling majority together with the president.”
Blinkevičiūtė has that she and the center-left Democratic Union, which took eight seats in the first round, would attempt to form a coalition together with a smaller third party.
The three parties, which so far have 34 lawmakers in total, supported each other’s candidates in the second round.
The vote in Lithuania, which borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave to the west and Belarus to the east, comes at a time when Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine is fueling greater fears about Moscow’s intentions, particularly in the strategically important Baltic region.
It will set the political tone for the next four years, but despite a possible shift to the left analysts say there won’t be significant change Lithuania’s foreign policy.
The European Union and NATO member is a staunch supporter of Ukraine.
AP video shot by Siarhei Satsiuk
===========================================================
Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f19557f878c84960872eb1629b45ed18
Author: AP Archive
Go to Source
News post in November 2, 2024, 12:04 am.
Visit Our Sponsor’s:
News Post In – News
