Ministries, balloons, crises: 10 most memorable events during Inga Ruginienė’s premiership
Tuesday 23rd June 2026 on 08:15 in
Lithuania
Lithuania’s 272-day-old government led by Social Democrat Inga Ruginienė will step down on Tuesday, reports LRT. The news agency highlights ten of the most notable events during her tenure as prime minister.
Among the key developments was the approval of a record defence budget for 2026, with allocations reaching €4.79 billion or 5.38% of GDP. The budget also included increases in pensions, social benefits, and salaries for teachers, doctors, civil servants, and other public sector workers.
Just 28 days into her term, Ruginienė dismissed Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, citing alleged intrigue after the ministry held a closed meeting with analysts to discuss reduced defence funding for 2026. Šakalienė claimed she and the prime minister had a “fundamental difference in understanding” on how to strengthen national defence. Robertas Kaunas was later appointed as her replacement.
A cultural ministry shake-up saw Ignotas Adomavičius, initially appointed as minister, resign after a week amid protests from the cultural community. The Social Democrats subsequently regained control of the ministry and appointed Vaida Aleknavičienė to the post.
The government also faced repeated disruptions at Vilnius Airport due to suspected contraband-smuggling balloons, leading to a month-long closure of the land border with Belarus in October. In response, the cabinet tightened criminal liability for aerial smuggling. Lithuania continues to navigate pressure from Belarus, which seeks political dialogue, while balancing U.S. calls to resume Belarusian fertilizer transit via Klaipėda port and its own stance against Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. Earlier this year, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya relocated from Lithuania to Poland.
Despite local opposition, the government advanced plans for a new military training ground in the Lazdijai district, with construction set to begin in 2028. The project includes compensation for affected residents and additional funding for social and engineering infrastructure in host municipalities.
Other challenges included tensions over Lithuania’s stance on China, with the government committed to a cautious approach amid geopolitical pressures.