Inga Ruginienė confirms return to Social Security and Labour Ministry
Inga Ruginienė, who is set to step down as prime minister, has confirmed she will return to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (SADM), which she previously led before becoming premier, BNS reports.
“I want to return to where my heart has always been. I see this as a natural rotation and a very important stage in my life. When I was needed in difficult times, I did not hesitate to take on the responsibility. Today, I feel at peace,” Ruginienė said in an interview published Saturday by Lietuvos rytas.
Asked whether she views the upcoming changes as a natural political rotation or a step backward, she replied: “I have the opportunity to return to where I can be closest to the people and the issues that have always been most important to me.”
Ruginienė served as Minister of Social Security and Labour in the government of Gintautas Paluckas. After his resignation last autumn, she assumed the role of prime minister. The ministry is currently led by Jūratė Zailskienė, who this week stated she would continue her work but declined to comment on future plans.
Among the most significant decisions during her tenure as prime minister, Ruginienė highlighted the allocation of 5.38% of GDP to national defence, the strengthening of air defence, and efforts to combat cigarette smuggling via balloons.
She acknowledged that, in hindsight, she might have handled some matters differently but does not regret leading the government. “Over these months, I have realised that my empathy and openness can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. More than one person warned me that an overly open heart in politics can trip you up. Perhaps sometimes it did,” she told Lietuvos rytas.
Ruginienė advised her successor to maintain close ties with the public and remain empathetic. According to BNS, the new coalition government will be led by Mindaugas Sinkevičius, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP). The Cabinet is expected to resign on June 23, following the social democrats’ decision to replace “Nemuno aušra” in the ruling majority with the Democratic Union “For Lithuania”. This is the third majority formed by the social democrats after the parliamentary elections, holding 75 seats in the Seimas.