Nausėda urges patience with newly appointed ministers

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has called for restraint in judging the newly appointed ministers in the incoming government, whose competence has faced the most criticism, LRT reports.

“Let’s give these people a chance to work as ministers, let’s see what they can and cannot do. Let’s not write them off immediately, as I see happening in the Seimas, especially through the efforts of the opposition,” Nausėda told the Baltic News Service (BNS) in an interview.

The opposition has most frequently criticised the lack of experience and competence of the new finance minister, Taurimas Valys, interior minister Martynas Katelynas, and environment minister Ieva Andriulaitytė.

Nausėda noted that there were previously doubts about Robertas Kaunas’ ability to serve as defence minister, yet “he is now one of the better ministers in this government.”

The president emphasised that forming a government is a political process. If the cabinet were composed solely of the best specialists in their fields, it would be a technocratic government, he said.

“That would mean the political process loses its meaning, because we simply appoint them and they could govern Lithuania indefinitely. But democratic rules state otherwise—that this is a political process, and sometimes ministers are people who do not hold a direct degree in that field. Does that make them worse? I don’t think so,” Nausėda said.

He added that sometimes individuals from other sectors perform even better than those with direct expertise. “Let’s see. In this case, I really want people to be given at least a couple of months, if not 100 days, to demonstrate what they can and cannot do.”

The opposition has also raised questions about the government’s legitimacy, as its programme was registered before Nausėda approved the cabinet’s composition. The president called this a “loophole that could have been avoided” but stressed that a legal assessment should be awaited. The opposition plans to refer the matter to the Constitutional Court.

The new government will be led by Mindaugas Sinkevičius, replacing Ingrida Ruginienė as prime minister.