Lithuanian president lacked leadership when parties needed unity – political scientist

Lithuanian political scientist Ainius Lašas has criticised President Gitanas Nausėda for failing to demonstrate leadership at a critical moment when political parties needed to unite, LRT reports.

Speaking on LRT Television’s Dienos tema programme, Lašas and fellow analyst Ramūnas Vilpišauskas discussed Nausėda’s annual address to the Seimas (parliament), delivered amid ongoing government instability. This marks the third time within a single presidential term that both the government and its leader have changed.

Lašas noted that Nausėda had been aware of Social Democratic Party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius’ decision to become prime minister since the previous evening, as the information was already included in a prepared speech. However, he suggested the president showed less enthusiasm because previous experiences with prime ministers may have been unsatisfactory.

Vilpišauskas argued that Nausėda’s political manoeuvring, including his open support for the Social Democrats before the last parliamentary elections, has complicated his role. While the president calls for unity in his annual address, his actions in daily politics sometimes contradict this message, making his appeals appear ambiguous.

The discussion also touched on the unprecedented return of Inga Ruginienė, who is set to resume her position as Minister of Social Security and Labour after nearly a year away. Lašas questioned whether she had demonstrated sufficient competence in the role, given her brief tenure and lack of experience in the specific policy area.