President signs decree to nominate M. Sinkevičius for prime minister

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday signed a decree to nominate Mindaugas Sinkevičius, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), as the country’s next prime minister, LRT reports.

On Tuesday, the president signed a decree accepting the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, also a social democrat, and instructed the cabinet to continue in a caretaker capacity.

The current government resigned after the ruling coalition was reshuffled and Sinkevičius announced last week his decision to form a new cabinet. A new coalition agreement, signed on Thursday, lists Sinkevičius as the candidate for prime minister.

Nausėda is expected to present Sinkevičius’s candidacy to the Seimas (parliament) during a plenary session on Thursday evening. Lawmakers must decide on the nomination within a week of its submission. The Seimas votes openly on the prime minister’s candidacy, requiring a simple majority for approval.

If approved, Sinkevičius must present a new cabinet and government programme to the Seimas for approval within 15 days of his appointment. The government receives its mandate once the Seimas approves its programme by a majority vote of participating members.

Ruginienė was appointed prime minister in August last year, with her government sworn in the following September. This is the second time the government has changed during this term, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and his cabinet last year.