Lithuania's Prime Minister resigns: Details
Photo: Gintautas Paluckas (Getty Images)
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has announced his resignation as both head of government and leader of the Social Democratic Party. His decision has already been approved by the party council and confirmed by the country's president, Gitanas Nausėda, LRT reports.
According to Nausėda, Paluckas informed him of his decision in a phone call on the morning of July 31. The President noted that consultations are currently underway regarding the formation of a new coalition, as the Social Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the Seimas, is expected to maintain its leading role.
Under the Lithuanian Constitution, the resignation of the prime minister results in the resignation of the entire cabinet. Until a new government is appointed, the duties of prime minister will be carried out by Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič, while the position of acting party leader has been assigned to the party's first deputy chair, Mindaugas Sinkevičius.
The political crisis deepened after Seimas Speaker Saulius Skvernelis declared that his party, the Democratic Union For Lithuania, would not cooperate with the coalition as long as Paluckas remained prime minister. That same day, Skvernelis met with the president.
Amid the mounting political pressure, Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service carried out searches at Dankora, a company linked to Paluckas' family. The firm had received European subsidies and purchased equipment from the prime minister's own company.
President Nausėda had earlier given Paluckas two weeks to publicly explain the situation. Paluckas went on vacation instead, but developments continued to unfold.
Candidates to replace the Lithuanian Prime Minister
The Social Democrats are already considering candidates for the next Prime Minister. Among them are Seimas Deputy Speaker Juozas Olekas; district mayors Robertas Dukhnevičius (Vilnius Region) and Mindaugas Sinkevičius (Jonava); and Minister of Social Security and Labor Inga Ruginienė.
Nausėda emphasized that the next nominee must be impeccable in terms of reputation.
"We will request all available information from the security services to prevent similar situations in the future," the President of Lithuania stated.
Lithuania's support for Ukraine
Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Lithuania has been a vocal and active supporter of Ukraine's defense. The country has provided weapons, ammunition, drones, air defense equipment, and armored vehicles.
The Lithuanian government has consistently called for tougher sanctions against Russia and has strongly advocated for Ukraine's swift integration into the European Union.
In February, Lithuania delivered another package of military aid that included trucks, thermal imaging cameras, and other gear for the Ukrainian armed forces.
