Sinkevičius says he is not afraid of Constitutional Court appeal over government

Lithuania’s ruling Democratic Union “For Lithuania” leader Virginijus Sinkevičius says he is not concerned about opposition plans to challenge the legitimacy of the new government at the Constitutional Court, stating that such a move would not affect the cabinet’s work.

“Personally, I am not afraid of this appeal to the Constitutional Court. I believe it is healthy to do so and ensure that the laws, and especially the approval of the government in this case, are within the constitutional framework,” Sinkevičius told Žinių Radijas on Tuesday.

“Whether this has any decisive impact on the government’s work itself, I am not sure,” he added.

The government led by Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius took office on Tuesday. However, opposition figures and some legal experts have raised concerns over the timing of the government’s programme registration, which occurred before President Gitanas Nausėda signed the decree on the cabinet’s composition. The programme was registered on July 3, while the decree was signed on July 7, raising questions about who prepared the programme and whether the appointed ministers would take responsibility for it.

The Constitution stipulates that after the president appoints a new prime minister, the latter must present the formed and president-approved government to the Seimas within 15 days, along with its programme for consideration.

Sinkevičius emphasised that the programme was submitted to the Seimas only after the president signed the decree. He also noted that this is not the first such case, citing a similar situation in 2020 when Ingrida Šimonytė’s government programme was registered at least half an hour before the media reported on Nausėda’s decree confirming the cabinet’s composition.

Reporting by LRT.