Radvilavičius confirms discussions with Sinkevičius about possible ministerial role

Social Democrat Audrius Radvilavičius, a member of the Seimas Environmental Protection Committee, has confirmed that he discussed the possibility of becoming environment minister with prime ministerial candidate Mindaugas Sinkevičius, LRT reports.

“Yes, I did speak with M. Sinkevičius. We exchanged views, I heard his expectations as a potential prime ministerial candidate, we talked. There were questions about my position as a possible candidate for environment minister, my stance on certain pressing issues, since the Environment Ministry is quite broad and there are many issues that need to be addressed or reviewed,” Radvilavičius told journalists at the Seimas on Thursday.

He noted there are several potential candidates for the environment minister post, and a final decision is expected within days. “Perhaps my name is among those mentioned, but as I understand, there is no final decision yet, as several names are being considered for this position,” he said.

Under the new coalition agreement, the Environment Ministry will be allocated to the Social Democrats. Currently, it is temporarily led by Kastytis Žuromskas, delegated by the “Nemuno aušra” party, which was removed from the ruling coalition.

On Thursday evening, President Gitanas Nausėda will present Sinkevičius’ candidacy for prime minister to the Seimas. The parliament must decide on the new prime minister within a week of the presentation, with a vote planned for June 30. A simple majority is required for approval.

If confirmed, Sinkevičius will have up to 15 days to present a cabinet lineup and government program for parliamentary approval.