Most of the party's members are former members of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union. 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. The Union of Democrats became a member of the European Green Party and ran in the 2024 European Parliament election in Lithuania, winning one seat to the European Parliament.[10] The party campaigns on environmental issues as well as redistributive socioeconomic policies.[11]
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.[13] 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.[14] Independent, previously Social Democratic parliamentarians Algirdas Butkevičius and Domas Griškevičius [lt] also joined the group.
The party participated in the 2024 European Parliament election in Lithuania, earning 5.95% of the popular vote and winning a single seat in the European Parliament (out of 11 Lithuanian ones). This was considered a success for the party, given how the party was only two years old at the time of the 2024 European Parliament election.[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.[17] Over time, its support plateaued and slightly shrank due to competition with the Social Democrats.
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 and 2022.[18] 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.[19]
On 17 June 2023, it announced its decision to seek to join the European Green Party.[20] It joined officially in February 2024.
Ideology
The party describes itself as being centre-left on economic policy and socially conservative on socio-cultural issues. It supports guaranteed minimum income, strengthening the traditional family, achieving climate neutrality by 2045 and decentralization.[2] In its program, it defines itself as centre-left, but maintains its focus on family values.[21] It is a member of the European Green Party and focuses on environmentalism and green politics, as well as centre-left socioeconomic issues.[11]
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.[22] 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.[23]
^Greblikas, Laurynas (14 June 2024). "European Elections in Lithuania: Post-election Analysis". The Lithuanian Green Party and the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" both position themselves as centre-left parties with a focus on environmental issues.
^Seputyte, Milda (19 August 2024). "Lithuanian Leader's Power Play Roils Politics Ahead of Election". Bloomberg L.P. The turmoil comes at a sensitive political moment, with Homeland Union trailing — with less than 10% — both the Social Democrats, who have 18% support, and the center-left Union of Democrats "For Lithuania," with 11%, according to a Baltijos Tyrimai poll published last month.
