New coalition may sacrifice Budrys as Nausėda withdraws firm support
A new governing coalition is set to form in Lithuania, with Mindaugas Sinkevičius confirmed as prime minister, marking the third coalition under the current Social Democratic Party (LSDP) leadership. The future of Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has become a central question, as even President Gitanas Nausėda has withdrawn firm backing, conditioning his continued tenure on normalising relations with China—a task largely dependent on Beijing’s response.
The incoming coalition, comprising the LSDP, the Peasant Greens, and the Democrats, has pledged to restore political culture by resolving disputes internally rather than publicly. However, with a smaller majority than the previous government, the opposition is expected to wield greater influence.
Sinkevičius’s path to the premiership follows a turbulent period for the LSDP. Gintautas Paluckas became the party’s first prime minister after Vilija Blinkevičiūtė declined the role due to age. Inga Ruginienė briefly succeeded Paluckas after his resignation amid scandal, with most other candidates withdrawing. Sinkevičius, previously dogged by past controversies—including a conviction later overturned by the Supreme Court for misusing municipal funds—has now embraced the responsibility, stating: “I will not shy away from accountability.”
Regarding Budrys, Sinkevičius suggested the foreign minister could remain, though other advisors, such as Deividas Matulionis or Asta Skaisgirytė, are also under consideration. Nausėda has made clear that Budrys’s future hinges on tangible progress in Lithuania-China relations by the New Year. “If the results are satisfactory, everything will be fine. If not, we will reassess,” the president said. However, as Remigijus Motuzas, chair of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, noted, the outcome may depend more on China than on Budrys himself.
Nausėda has already criticised Sinkevičius’s leadership, stating that “too many red lines have been crossed” and that public patience has worn thin. Sinkevičius, however, has dismissed concerns over past controversies, remarking: “If you’re afraid of skeletons in the closet, you shouldn’t be in politics.”
Source: LRT