Lithuanian Regions Party

Lithuanian political party

Politics of Lithuania
Political parties
Elections

The Lithuanian Regions Party (Lithuanian: Lietuvos regionų partija, LRP),^[3] also translated as the Lithuanian Party of Regions, is a political party in Lithuania.^[4] It was founded in 2018 as the Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos socialdemokratų darbo partija, LSDDP) following a split of members from Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP; also joined by former members of the Labour Party) after the LSDP's decision to exit a coalition government with the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union in 2017.^[5]

History

The party was a junior partner in government in the Seimas, Lithuania's unicameral Parliament, from 2018^[6] to 2020. At the time, the LSDDP had 50 sections.^[7]

The party scored badly in the 2019 European Parliament election, scoring only 2.4% of votes and failing to elect any MEP. The party won slightly over 3% of the popular vote and 3 seats in the 2020 parliamentary election (only one MP, Andrius Palionis, was reelected). By this, the party became eligible to state dotation, but it was not allowed to form a separate parliamentary group, as a minimum of seven MPs are required for its formation. To do so, the LSDDP aligned with the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, Freedom and Justice (formerly Order and Justice) and independent right-wing deputies Petras Gražulis and Valdemaras Valkiūnas [lt] to form the Lithuanian Group of Regions (Lithuanian: Lietuvos regionų frakcija).

In July 2021 the party adopted the name Lithuanian Regions Party. Jonas Pinskus, a former member of the Labour Party who joined the LSDDP in 2018, was elected chairman. He emphasized taking the party to a regionalist direction and emphasized growing differences between the Regions Party and LSDP.^[8]

Pinskus' wife and Mayor of Širvintos, Živilė Pinskuvienė, joined the Regions Party alongside her electoral committee "Živilė Pinskuvienė's team – for a successful Širvintos region" (Lithuanian: Živilės Pinskuvienės komanda – už sėkmingą Širvintų kraštą) in 2022.^[9] The Regions Party gained 73% of the vote in Širvintos in the 2023 Lithuanian local elections,^[10] the only municipality in which the party earned the largest share of the vote.

Political positions

In its party program, the Regions Party describes itself as a center-left political party.^[11] Political science journals such as Geographia Polonica and the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies classified the party as left-wing.^[2] It supports decentralization of the political system, a social market economy and a stronger social safety net, but at the same time supports the formation of additional free economic zones in poorer Lithuanian regions. It opposes further European integration.

The Regions Party is a supporter of the right-wing traditionalist anti-LGBT Lithuanian Family Movement, and participates in their protests and demonstrations.^[12] It initiated an attempt to ban LGBT propaganda in the Prienai District Municipality in 2023, but this proposal did not receive support from the local council.^[13]

Election results

Seimas

Election	Votes^[a]	%	Seats	+/–	Government
2020	37,198	3.3 (#8)	3 / 141	3	Opposition

^ Proportional representation votes.

European Parliament

Election	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
2019	29,592	2.4 (#12)	0 / 11

Municipal

Election	Votes^[a]	%	Council seats	Mayors	+/–
2019	19,591	1.73 (#9)	24 / 1,442	0 / 60	-
2023	28,927	2.47 (#7)	56 / 1,498	1 / 60	33

^ Municipal council election votes.

Chairmen

Gediminas Kirkilas – 2018–2021
Jonas Pinskus – from 2021

References

^ "Lietuvos Socialdemokratų Darbo Partijos Programa" (in Lithuanian).
^ ^a ^b
- Klaus Armingeon; Sarah Engler; Lucas Leemann; David Weisstanner (16 June 2023). Codebook Supplement to the Comparative Political Data Set – Government Composition 1960-2021. p. 13. - As the "Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LSDDP)".
- Dovydas Vidzbelis; Donatas Burneika (2023). "Spatial analysis of Lithuanian youth turnout: Results of 2016-2020 parliamentary elections" (PDF). Geographia Polonica. 96 (2). Institute of Sociology at the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences: 263. - As the "Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LSDDP)".
- Julia Schulte-Cloos; Lenka Dražanová (1 August 2023). "Shared Identity in Crisis: A Comparative Study of Support for the EU in the Face of the Russian Threat". Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. 48: 23. ISSN 1028-3625. - As the "Lithuanian Regions Party".
^ https://www.lrytas.lt/lietuvosdiena/aktualijos/2021/07/29/news/-socialdarbieciai-keicia-pavadinima-tampa-lietuvos-regionu-partija-20262398/ „Socialdarbiečiai“ keičia pavadinimą – tampa Lietuvos regionų partija
^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "Lithuania". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
^ Gudavičius, Stasys (7 November 2017). "Oficialiai paskelbta nauja frakcija Seime, keisis komitetų vadovybė". Verslo žinios (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 December 2019.
^ Gaučaitė, Modesta (24 March 2018). "Socialdemokratų atskilėliai įkūrė savo partiją, išsirinko pirmininką ir įgėlė konservatoriams". Lrytas (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 December 2019.
^ Plikūnė, Dalia (13 April 2018). "Kirkilas mėto užuominas apie kandidatą į teisingumo ministrus". Delfi (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 31 December 2019.
^ Pankūnas, Gytis (19 June 2021). "LSDDP pavadinimą planuojantis keisti Pinskus: prie Regionų partijos galėtų prisijungti ne vienas meras". LRT.
^ "Ž.Pinskuvienės komitetas jungiasi prie jos vyro vadovaujamos Regionų partijos". 15min.lt. 1 June 2022.
^ "2023 m. kovo 5 d. savivaldybių tarybų ir merų rinkimai (I turas) - Širvintos". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania.
^ "Lietuvos regionų partijos programa". Lithuanian Regions Party.
^ Marcinkevičius, Leonardas (10 September 2021). "Pinskus: maždaug pusė Regionų frakcijos narių yra aktyviausi "šeimų maršo" dalyviai". LRT.
^ Aleknavičė, Karolina (25 May 2023). "Regionų partijos atstovo siūlymas stabdyti tariamą "LGBT ideologiją" palaikymo nesulaukė: Prienų valdžia dokumentui nepritarė". LRT.