President Nausėda expects new coalition to be more stable

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda believes the new governing coalition will be more stable and hopes the government will continue to uphold Lithuania’s key foreign policy principles, LRT reports.

“I always have positive expectations. But sometimes at the end of the day, we see that expectations differ from results, from initial hopes,” Nausėda said in an interview with US business and economic news portal Bloomberg when asked about his expectations for the new government.

However, the president noted that he believes the new coalition will be more stable. “I think this coalition will be more stable because one partner, which was, let’s say, somewhat controversial, has been replaced by another. And I hope they will maintain stable economic policy. What is especially important is that foreign policy must be based on principles that have always been very important to Lithuania,” Nausėda said.

Among these principles, he mentioned support for Ukraine, active policy in the European Union, security and defence, and commitments to NATO. “I hope these priorities will remain. We will see what the results will be, as the next parliamentary elections will be in 2028,” Nausėda told Bloomberg.

A new coalition agreement was signed on Thursday by the leaders of the parliamentary groups: Social Democrat Orinta Leiputė, head of the “Farmers” faction Jaroslavas Narkevičius, and Democrat faction leader Lukas Savickas.

The agreement includes commitments to ensure Lithuania’s defence resilience, strengthen collective defence capabilities, civil security, cyber resilience, and responsible management of defence resources. It also pledges to maintain defence funding at no less than 5% of GDP.

In family policy, the coalition plans to improve conditions for starting a family and raising children, including reviewing the child support system, increasing family support, expanding childcare accessibility, and strengthening informal education, day centres, full-day schools, and family service networks in the regions. By the end of 2027, it aims to introduce free education for all primary school students.

The coalition also promises to reduce the impact of prices on people’s lives by increasing incomes, encouraging employment, and strengthening social security. Additional priorities include ensuring equal access to quality education, a stable sports system, extending healthy life expectancy, improving transport infrastructure, and creating sustainable transport nationwide.

In foreign policy, priorities include support for Ukraine, NATO unity, strengthening strategic partnerships with the US, Germany, Poland, and Nordic and Baltic states, as well as normalising relations with China.

The new government is expected to be formed by Social Democratic Party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who is seeking the prime minister’s post, while the Seimas will continue to be led by Social Democrat Juozas Olekas.

Last week, coalition negotiation leaders agreed on the distribution of ministries. The Democratic Union “For Lithuania” has been allocated the ministries of Agriculture, Energy, and Health in the new government. The ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) will continue to lead nine ministries, while the Seimas faction of the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens, and Christian Families Union will retain control of the Economy and Innovation and Justice ministries.

Earlier this month, the LSDP council decided to change last summer’s ruling majority by removing “Nemuno aušra” and starting consultations with the Democratic Union “For Lithuania”. Currently, the ruling majority in the Seimas has 80 members. If a new coalition is formed, it will have slightly fewer—75 votes.

Tensions in the current coalition increased after some ruling partners in the Seimas did not support the establishment of the Kapčiamiestis military training ground.