Prime minister hopes new government will prioritise state-owned company boards

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has said she expects the newly formed government to prioritise the faster formation of boards for state-owned companies, following the signing of a new coalition agreement by political partners.

Speaking in the Seimas during the government’s hourly questions, Ruginienė responded to criticism from liberal MP Simonas Gentvilas regarding the management of strategic state enterprises. Gentvilas highlighted that Vilnius Airport had overtaken Riga in passenger numbers for the first time, yet the current head of Lithuanian Airports (LTOU), Simonas Bartkus, is stepping down.

“What is happening here? How is the management of strategic companies currently being carried out?” Gentvilas asked.

Ruginienė stated that the reasons for changing LTOU’s leadership had already been explained publicly, noting that “a number of factors” had led to dissatisfaction with the director’s work. She described the process as part of normal democratic procedures.

Gentvilas also pointed out that new boards have yet to be appointed not only for LTOU but also for the State Forest Service. The Transport Ministry announced two weeks ago that a new LTOU board would be formed after Bartkus, who will leave his post on 3 July, announced his resignation. The previous board’s term ended on 17 June.

Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said the decision had been long in the making and was linked to a new phase for the company, with the board expected to focus on innovation, sustainability, and security. He later dismissed concerns about leadership changes in his ministry’s companies as an attempt by opponents to create a “political show.”

As reported by ELTA, Egidijus Lazauskas, the general director of the Lithuanian Railways Group (LTG), also resigned in April. Other changes in the transport sector include the departure of the leadership of the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration, while a selection process for a new general director of Oro Navigacija (Air Navigation) is underway.