Two former trade union colleagues of prime minister appointed to government roles without competition

Two associates of Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė from her time at the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation (LPSK) have secured positions in the Government Chancellery without competitive selection, following earlier appointments at the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, LRT reports.

Rasa Nuobaraitytė and Ramunė Motiejūnaitė-Pekkinen, both former LPSK staff, were initially hired at the ministry—then led by Ruginienė—before transitioning to the Government Chancellery in non-political advisory roles. Nuobaraitytė, who served as LPSK administrator, became the ministry’s chancellor in late 2024, while Motiejūnaitė-Pekkinen, a former LPSK communications specialist, was later appointed head of the ministry’s Communications Department.

After Ruginienė assumed the premiership in August, Nuobaraitytė joined the Government Chancellery in September as senior advisor on governance, and Motiejūnaitė-Pekkinen followed in February as senior specialist in the Prime Minister’s Office, responsible for speechwriting and communications. Both positions are classified as non-political.

Appointments defended as routine
Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskis, Ruginienė’s advisor, stated the hires followed standard procedure for non-competitive roles. “These are not competitive positions, so selection was conducted routinely, without public competition,” he explained. Nuobaraitytė was appointed by the then-chancellor, while Motiejūnaitė-Pekkinen’s hiring was approved by the head of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Dobrovolskis added that Ruginienė recommended both based on their prior collaboration at LPSK and the ministry, citing their expertise in relevant fields. “The prime minister’s political team consists of others selected according to role requirements,” he noted.

Opposition criticises lack of transparency
Daiva Ulbinaitė, a conservative MP with the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, condemned the appointments as a return to “old cronyism.” She argued that loyalty, not competence, appeared to drive the hires, calling the practice “disgraceful and harmful to the state.”

Ulbinaitė also questioned the legality of bypassing competitive selection for non-political roles. “If these aren’t political appointees, they should win competitions,” she said, pledging to scrutinise the hires for potential violations. She further criticised the timing, noting another controversial appointment had surfaced the same week.