Lithuanian opposition calls on president and PM to hold ministers accountable after court rulings

The opposition Liberal Movement faction in Lithuania’s parliament has urged Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė and President Gitanas Nausėda to take a firm stance on recent court rulings that declared administrative orders by two government ministers unlawful, state news agency ELTA reports.

In a statement, the faction’s leader, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, criticised the government for “acting as a shield against accountability,” noting that officials initially defer to legal assessments but fail to respond when those assessments prove unfavourable. “Such behaviour undermines Lithuania’s foundation as a rule-of-law state,” she said.

The call follows two separate rulings by Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court (LVAT) against Education, Science, and Sports Minister Raminta Popovienė and Health Minister Marija Jakubauskienė. The Liberal Movement argues that those who appointed the ministers—Nausėda and Ruginienė—must now demand accountability.

Court overturns ministerial orders

Last week, the LVAT ruled that Popovienė’s 2025 order to add 10 points to high school graduates’ final exam scores violated the Law on Science and Studies. The five-judge panel found the measure unlawful after a complaint by the conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD). The decision is final and non-appealable.

Popovienė had justified the adjustment by claiming the previous 35-point passing threshold was too high. The court’s ruling invalidates both the 10-point addition and a separate 1–5 point adjustment for students scoring 17–20 in the math exam’s first section.

In a separate case last May, the LVAT annulled Jakubauskienė’s 2024 orders altering healthcare service payment rules, citing procedural violations. The court found that draft regulations were rushed—given only five working days for coordination instead of the required 10—and improperly published. It also faulted the ministry for failing to conduct a mandatory impact assessment, breaching transparency principles. The challenge was brought by Liberal Movement lawmakers.