President to submit Mindaugas Sinkevičius as candidate for prime minister

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will present Mindaugas Sinkevičius as his candidate for prime minister to the Seimas (parliament) on Thursday, reports BNS.

Nausėda met with Sinkevičius on Wednesday and confirmed the nomination, stating that he had previously encouraged the Social Democratic Party leader to take on the role. “I won’t hide that at the very beginning, I convinced and urged Mr. Sinkevičius to take the position of prime minister. At that time, he decided against it, so I am pleased that this time he has taken on the necessary political responsibility as the leader of the Social Democratic Party to also take the lead in forming the government cabinet,” the president said.

He added that he hopes the process will proceed smoothly and quickly, in line with constitutional deadlines, allowing work to begin promptly.

Sinkevičius agreed to lead the 21st government after the ruling coalition changed and Inga Ruginienė stepped down as prime minister. Following the coalition reshuffle, Ruginienė’s 20th Cabinet officially ended its term on Tuesday.

The Constitution stipulates that after the government resigns, the president must submit a candidate for permanent prime minister to the Seimas for consideration within 15 days. If the Seimas approves the candidate, they must then present a new Cabinet and government program, agreed upon with the president, within another 15 days. Both the Cabinet and program require parliamentary approval.

A new ruling majority was formed after the Social Democrats terminated their agreement with the “Nemuno aušra” party. In mid-June, the leaders of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Democratic Union “For Lithuania,” and the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens, and Christian Families Union signed a new coalition agreement, securing 75 votes in the Seimas.

Under the agreement, at least four ministers will change in the new Cabinet: the Democrats will lead the ministries of Agriculture, Energy, and Health, while the Social Democrats will take over the Ministry of Environment. Ruginienė is expected to return to her previous role as Minister of Social Security and Labour.

Potential ministerial candidates have not yet been disclosed, as politicians state the need to coordinate names with the president. Sinkevičius currently serves as mayor of Jonava District Municipality, a position he has held, with interruptions, since 2011. If confirmed as prime minister, he would have to resign from his mayoral post.

Sinkevičius was previously suspected in a corruption case involving the alleged misuse of public funds while serving as a member of Jonava Municipal Council, where he purchased two televisions and other communication services with the funds. In October 2024, the Court of Appeals upheld a conviction, barring him from public office for several years, which led to his dismissal as mayor. However, the Supreme Court of Lithuania terminated his criminal case last spring, ruling that his actions constituted an administrative rather than a criminal offense, allowing him to return to his position as mayor.

Last summer, Sinkevičius became the acting leader of the Social Democratic Party after Gintautas Paluckas stepped down, and this spring, he was elected as the party’s permanent leader. Sinkevičius has stated that this was one of the reasons he decided to run for prime minister.