Nausėda and Sinkevičius deny cabinet reshuffle, but analysts remain skeptical

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and designated Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius have denied that any ministerial exchanges took place during the formation of the new government, though political analysts suggest otherwise, reports LRT.

Sinkevičius has submitted a list of 21 ministerial candidates for the new government, with seven new names compared to the previous cabinet led by Ingrida Ruginienė. The opposition has criticized the selections, calling this the weakest of the three Social Democratic governments, with some replaced ministers allegedly lacking sufficient competence.

The designated prime minister acknowledged that parts of the government program would continue the work of Ruginienė’s administration. “It’s not a completely rewritten program—it would be strange to have an entirely new program with only two years left,” Sinkevičius said. When pressed on whether the program would largely continue while half the ministers were replaced, he replied, “We’ve also changed quite a bit in the program.”

Among the proposed changes, Taurimas Valys is nominated for finance minister, replacing Kristupas Vaitiekūnas. Martynas Katelynas is proposed for interior minister, succeeding Vladislavas Kondratovičius. Lukas Alsys may take over the culture ministry from Vaida Aleknavičienė, while non-partisan Ieva Andriulaitytė is nominated for environmental minister.

Three new candidates from the Democratic Party are also proposed: Linas Kukuraitis for health, Lukas Savickas for energy, and Kęstutis Mažeika for agriculture.

The opposition has been vocal in its criticism. Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the “Nemuno aušra” party, argued that some new ministers lack expertise, citing Lukas Savickas as an example: “Maybe he knows a little about energy, but [former minister] Vaičiūnas is on a completely different level.”

Liberal Movement MP Eugenijus Gentvilas questioned the qualifications of other candidates, such as Martynas Katelynas, a political newcomer. “I don’t know how he can be considered more suitable than Kondratovičius, who served as minister without major complaints, except for issues with the Registry Center,” Gentvilas said.

Seven ministers from Ruginienė’s cabinet will retain their positions, including non-partisan Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, and Social Security and Labor Minister Inga Ruginienė. Others, such as Economy and Innovation Minister Edvinas Grikšas and Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė, will also continue in their roles.

One of the biggest questions during the cabinet formation was whether Budrys would keep his post. He will. While Nausėda and Sinkevičius deny any behind-the-scenes deals, political analysts suggest the impression of a trade-off remains.

“Sinkevičius wanted his own people in the government, though their competence may not be the highest for these roles. One of the president’s key demands was that Kęstutis Budrys remain foreign minister,” said Saulius Jakučionis, editor-in-chief of BNS.

Raminta Popovienė, the minister of education, science, and sports, is the only minister from the three Social Democratic governments to remain unchanged. According to Jakučionis, this indicates that, in the Social Democrats’ assessment, she has not made major mistakes.