What's happened
Iceland and Lithuania recently held presidential elections, with Halla Tomasdottir winning in Iceland and Gitanas Nauseda securing re-election in Lithuania. Both elections highlighted key issues such as migration, economic stability, and political integrity, reflecting the candidates' differing approaches to governance and national challenges.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Al Jazeera, Halla Tomasdottir won Iceland's presidential election with 34.3% of the vote, defeating Katrin Jakobsdottir. The Independent noted that Gitanas Nauseda secured a significant victory in Lithuania, winning approximately 75% of the vote against Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. Both elections reflect broader regional concerns about migration and economic stability, with Nauseda's policies being particularly focused on national security in the context of Russian aggression. The New York Times highlighted how Abinader's immigration policies in the Dominican Republic resonate with voters, showcasing the political landscape's responsiveness to migration issues.
How we got here
Iceland's election saw Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman, defeat former Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, while in Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda won against Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. Both elections were influenced by regional concerns over migration and economic policies.
Common question
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The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region.
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Katrín Jakobsdóttir is an Icelandic politician serving as the prime minister of Iceland since 2017. She has been a member of the Althing for the Reykjavík North constituency since 2007.
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Iceland is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic, with a population of 364,134 and an area of 103,000 km², making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík.
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Haitians are the citizens of Haiti and the descendants in the diaspora through direct parentage. An ethno-national group, Haitians generally comprise the modern descendants of self-liberated Africans in the Caribbean territory historically referred to as
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has been President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra since 14 May 2017.
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Gitanas Nausėda is a Lithuanian economist, politician and banker, having worked as the Director of Monetary Policy at the Bank of Lithuania from 1996 until 2000, and chief economist to the chairman of SEB bankas from 2008 until 2018.
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Ingrida Šimonytė is a Lithuanian politician and economist who is the current Prime Minister of Lithuania, having taken office on 25 November 2020.
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Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. Lithuania is one of the Baltic states. The country is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the southeast of Sweden and Denmark.
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Halla Tómasdóttir (born 11 October 1968) is an Icelandic politician who has been the president of Iceland since 2024. She is the second Icelandic female president after Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. Previously, she was a businesswoman and public speaker. Pri