Mindaugas Sinkevičius says he is not afraid of questions about his past

Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius, a candidate for prime minister, says he is not afraid of questions about his past or acquaintances, LRT reports.

“I believe all questions have been answered today. There will likely be more questions, and they may be asked. And, to be honest, I am not afraid of them. I believe I have answers to all questions, and these questions do not scare me. If questions scared me or if I had doubts, I probably would not have made this decision and agreed to run for this position,” Sinkevičius told Žinių Radio on Thursday.

“Yes, I have acquaintances, yes, I have lived through things in life, inherited things from my parents and grandparents. All questions that have been asked or will be asked—whether about legal expenses that have already been addressed—the answers will be clear, understandable, and I believe no further questions will arise,” he said.

According to BNS, Sinkevičius met with President Gitanas Nausėda on Wednesday. The president said he had received assurance from the LSDP leader that he had no past misconduct that would force him to resign as prime minister, as Gintautas Paluckas had to do about a year ago. Nausėda called such a scenario a “catastrophic blow” to both Sinkevičius’ political career and the country, adding that the candidate “fully understands” this.

Last week, public figure Andrius Tapinas announced he had asked the Special Investigation Service to clarify how Sinkevičius funded his legal expenses in the so-called “čekiukai” (checks) case. In that case, Sinkevičius was defended by lawyer Arūnas Petrauskas of Ellex Valiunas. The politician confirmed he had paid the lawyer around €10,000 through several transactions and had received no discounts.

Sinkevičius stated that his family had financially supported him during the legal proceedings, transferring money to him via online banking. MP Rimantas Sinkevičius confirmed he had contributed to his son’s legal defence.

Sinkevičius was convicted in both the first and appellate instances in the “čekiukai” case, which temporarily removed him from his position as mayor of Jonava and required him to pay a €12,500 fine. However, the Supreme Court of Lithuania later acquitted him, allowing him to return to office and active politics.

Sinkevičius also said he expects future cabinet ministers to demonstrate not only experience but also energy and courage in their work.

“The time will come, and I will certainly announce the entire composition of the 14-minister cabinet. But of course, I need both experience and qualifications, as well as energy, willingness to act, and a desire not just to administer and play it safe but to act boldly,” he told Žinių Radio.

“Sometimes there is a need for greater proactivity because experience and life lessons can make you more cautious, more reserved in your approach. But sometimes that youthful lack of experience is also a good thing because it shows a willingness to solve problems quickly and operationally, without fear of responsibility,” he added.

Sinkevičius said he aims to ensure gender balance in his cabinet as much as possible. “You always want that mix of men and women so that gender equality is maintained in the government as much as possible. It didn’t work out this time; I don’t know how it will go with this government,” he said.

In the outgoing cabinet of Ingrida Ruginienė, who resigned on Tuesday, five women served alongside the prime minister.