Laisvės Party’s Vilnius branch general meeting is set to approve its candidate for mayor of the capital and the leader of the city council candidate list on Saturday.
Vytautas Mitalas Leads Mayoral Bid and Sets 70-Person Team for Vilnius
Party leader Vytautas Mitalas told journalists ahead of the gathering that the political force has assembled about 70 candidates for the Vilnius City Municipal Council, forming a larger team than the one that ran in the 2023 municipal elections. Mitalas explained that the party’s program carries the slogan “Vilnius on your side” and aims to balance future ambition with rapid responses to resident concerns. Among the candidates listed by the party are current municipal council member and former capital mayor Remigijus Šimašius, former members of parliament Monika Ošmianskienė and Morgana Danielė, former interior minister Eimutis Misiūnas, teacher Alius Avčininkas, and businessman Adomas Bukauskas.
Did You Know? The upcoming municipal council and mayoral elections across Lithuania are officially scheduled to take place on March 7, 2027, leaving roughly four months of preparation time since the initial campaign registrations closed with the Central Electoral Commission.
Electoral Expansion Targets Ten Municipalities and Strategic Coalitions
Mitalas announced that the party will formally approve ten mayoral candidates next week, marking an expansion from the previous local election cycle. In 2023, the political force missed securing seats in Kaunas, Klaipėda, and Šiauliai by very narrow margins. To overcome those past hurdles, the party has formed specific electoral partnerships for the 2027 race, joining forces with the Green Party in Kaunas for a joint list and uniting with the Liberal Movement and a local committee in Šiauliai. Mitalas emphasized that local government acts as a crucial springboard for subsequent national parliamentary elections.
Expert Insight: For a party that lost its seats in the Seimas in 2024, this is its first major attempt to return to the front lines of politics through cities and districts.
Democratic Voter Ranking Introduced Across Five Selected Municipalities
In a push for broader civic engagement, Laisvės Party opened its candidate ranking process to residents in five specific locations—Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Vilnius District, and Visaginas—allowing supporters registered via simpatikai.lt to influence electoral lists ahead of November 15. Citizens aged 16 and older who reside in these areas and hold permanent residency can participate if they are not members of competing political organizations. In all other participating municipalities, candidate lists will be ranked strictly by party members.
Schedule and Coalition Plans for Upcoming Elections
When will the municipal council and mayoral elections take place?
The elections are officially scheduled to be held on March 7, 2027, according to electoral records and announcements cited in the reports.
Which parties are partnering with Laisvės Party in regional coalitions?
The party has agreed to form a joint candidate list with the Green Party in Kaunas, and has united with the Liberal Movement alongside a local committee in Šiauliai.
How many mayoral candidates does the party plan to endorse?
Party leader Vytautas Mitalas stated that the political force intends to approve at least ten mayoral candidates and aim for roughly 15 to 18 council lists across Lithuania.