Social Democrats end coalition with Nemuno Aušra over ideological differences

The ruling coalition in Lithuania between the Social Democrats and the centre-left Nemuno Aušra party has collapsed due to ideological compromises, Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas announced on Monday, according to public broadcaster LRT.

Olekas, a senior Social Democrat, stated that the current government programme “does not fully reflect our electoral commitments,” forcing concessions on tax policies and other decisions to accommodate coalition partners. He noted that Nemuno Aušra, while positioning itself as centre-left domestically, had expressed alignment with the far-right European Patriots group in the European Parliament—an ideological mismatch.

“We had to make compromises based on the wishes of our former coalition partners,” Olekas said, adding that the Social Democrats now seek a new majority that better aligns with left-wing priorities.

The break follows a weekend decision by the Social Democrats’ council to exclude Nemuno Aušra from the governing coalition and begin negotiations with the centre-right Democratic Union “For Lithuania”. Talks have been given a two-week deadline, with Olekas expressing hope for a resolution before the Seimas’ spring session ends on June 30 or early July.

Olekas did not rule out broader cabinet changes beyond the resignation of Nemuno Aušra’s two ministers (environment and agriculture). “If we reach an agreement with new partners on programme changes, there could also be personnel shifts,” he said.

The coalition’s unravelling was accelerated by Nemuno Aušra’s opposition to establishing a military training ground in Kapčiamestis, as well as criticism of its leader’s rhetoric, which some Social Democrats deemed divisive. The party’s leader was previously convicted of antisemitism by a first-instance court.

Olekas attributed the split partly to “ambitions within our party, especially from regional branches,” who pushed for a coalition realignment to better fulfil campaign promises.