Mažeika invites former minister Hofmanas and Palionis to his team

Incoming agriculture minister Kęstutis Mažeika has invited Andrius Palionis, currently acting in the role, and former minister Ignas Hofmanas to join his team, while also offering to retain deputy minister Rolandas Taraškevičius in his position, LRT reports.

Mažeika said the move aims to ensure continuity in the ministry’s work, noting that stability is particularly important in agriculture. “We joke that I will probably be the fifth minister in three years – that’s a lack of stability, and agriculture especially needs focus, consistency, and continuity in the work that has been started by the last two ministers,” he told Delfi’s Verslo požiūris programme.

Hofmanas previously served as agriculture minister in the 19th government under Gintautas Paluckas, while Palionis was appointed by Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė in the 20th government and also worked under Saulius Skvernelis from 2019 to 2020.

Mažeika emphasised the need to signal stability and openness to the agricultural community, citing challenges such as the financing of farmers through the national development bank ILTE, which he described as currently unclear and burdened by bureaucracy. “We are talking not about small farms, but about serious, operating ones. I think we will have to discuss this with both the prime minister and the finance minister,” he said.

He also confirmed that Taraškevičius, who currently oversees EU funding, would remain in his role, as his experience is valuable in negotiations over the EU budget, especially with Lithuania preparing to take over the presidency of the EU Council next year.

Prime Minister-designate Mindaugas Sinkevičius presented his government’s programme to the Seimas on Tuesday. The programme will now be reviewed by parliamentary factions and committees, which have the right to summon the prime minister or ministers to answer questions. The new government will receive its mandate once the Seimas approves its programme in a vote. If the programme is rejected or returned for improvement, a revised version must be submitted within 10 days, and the procedure repeats. If the Seimas rejects the programme twice in a row, the cabinet must resign.