Survey ranks Skvernelis, Butkevičius and Kirkilas as Lithuania’s best-rated prime ministers over 20 years

A two-decade analysis of public opinion polls by the research company Baltijos tyrimai shows that the most favourably rated Lithuanian prime ministers were Saulius Skvernelis, Algirdas Butkevičius and Gediminas Kirkilas.

Since July 2006, Lithuania has had seven governments led by Kirkilas, Andrius Kubilius, Butkevičius, Skvernelis, Ingrida Šimonytė, Gintautas Paluckas and Inga Ruginienė.

Skvernelis received the highest approval, with a peak of 74% of adults rating him positively, while his highest disapproval reached 49%. Butkevičius, who served from 2012 to 2016, had a peak approval of 72% and a peak disapproval of 58%. Kirkilas, prime minister from 2006 to 2008, saw a peak approval of 69% and a peak disapproval of 66%.

Gintautas Paluckas, who led the government for just under a year from 2024, ranks fourth, with 58% approval at his peak and 61% disapproval. Current Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė ranks fifth, with a peak approval of 49% and a peak disapproval of 54%.

Ingrida Šimonytė, who served from 2020 to 2024, ranks second-to-last, with a peak approval of 48% and a peak disapproval of 75%. Andrius Kubilius, who led the government from 2008 to 2012, was rated the worst, with his best approval at 39% (in December 2008) and his worst disapproval at 88% (in April 2010).

When rated by public trust in their governments, Skvernelis’s cabinet had the highest average trust at 44%, with 52% distrust. Butkevičius’s government followed with 42% trust and 55% distrust. Paluckas’s government had 41% trust and 54% distrust, while Kirkilas’s had 33% trust and 61% distrust.

Ruginienė’s government had an average trust of 33% and distrust of 62%, Šimonytė’s had 32% trust and 64% distrust, and Kubilius’s had the lowest average trust at 19% and the highest distrust at 77%.