Lithuania agrees on new government; Social Democrats retain leadership

Brussels – Lithuania’s social democrats have reached an agreement with other political forces to give the country a new government after the forced resignation of the former premier Gintautas Paluckas due to financial scandals.

The most populous of the Baltic countries (2.8 million inhabitants) should therefore have a new government within a couple of weeks, formed by Social Democrats, the populists of Nemunas and the Union of Farmers, and Greens.

One of the new coalition partners is the Alliance of Christian Families, a right-wing party representing the country’s Polish minority, which has some reservations about the new government’s pledge of unconditional support for Kyiv against the Russian invasion.

According to the agreement, the social democrat former trade unionist Ingos Ruginienės will head the new government and will have 82 of the 141 seats in the Lithuanian Parliament, the Seimas. 

The Social Democrats will retain nine key ministries, including Finance, Defense, Foreign Affairs, Health, and Education. Nemunas will have Environment, Agriculture, and Energy, while the Farmers and Greens and their allies will lead Economy and Justice. 

The parliamentary vote on Ruginienė’s nomination is scheduled for today (26 August). If she has a majority, within 15 days the prime ministerial candidate will have to present her cabinet, which will have to be approved by the president of the Republic (who apparently has many reservations about Nemunas’ candidates), and then return to parliament to present her program.