President hopes government reshuffle will be the last of this parliamentary term

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has expressed hope that the newly sworn-in government led by Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius will serve until the end of the current parliamentary term, according to a report by LRT.

“I would like this to be the last reshuffle not just for this government, but for this entire term. Every government reshuffle takes time and creates additional uncertainty. We would like to avoid this, so I hope that Mindaugas Sinkevičius, in taking on the role of prime minister, fully understands his responsibility and has carefully selected his team,” Nausėda told TV3 Žinios.

The president acknowledged that while Sinkevičius has the right to choose his ministers, their competence should not raise doubts. However, he noted that some members of the new cabinet have already sparked questions among both the public and the opposition in the Seimas (parliament).

Recent public criticism has targeted new Finance Minister Taurimas Valys, who replaced former Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas. Nausėda said that while Valys initially appeared open to various proposals, he will soon face strict budgetary and EU fiscal constraints, making it impossible to implement all ideas.

“I won’t hide that the finance minister made an impression by being open to various suggestions—perhaps even more than one might expect from a finance minister. But this reminds me a bit of the 18th century, when Augustus III had a finance minister, or the prime minister of the time, Count (Heinrich von) Brühl. The ruler would ask him: ‘Brühl, do I have money?’ and he would always answer the same: ‘Yes, Your Majesty, you certainly do.’ At that time, Augustus III loved to spend, and all he cared about was having plenty of money,” Nausėda commented.

“Finance works differently today. There are certain requirements to follow—both the Maastricht criteria and, in particular, the expenditure growth requirement. I think the minister will very quickly come to understand both the limits of his actions and the additional factors that prevent him from doing whatever he wants,” he added.

The new government, led by the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) in coalition with the Democratic Union “For Lithuania” and the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens, and Christian Families Union (LVŽKŠS), officially assumed office on Tuesday after its programme was approved and its members took their oaths in the Seimas.

The cabinet includes Taurimas Valys as finance minister, Ieva Andriulaitytė as environment minister, Lukas Alsys as culture minister, Martynas Katelynas as interior minister, and Inga Ruginienė as social security and labour minister. Robertas Kaunas remains defence minister, Raminta Popovienė continues as education, science, and sports minister, and Kęstutis Budrys stays on as foreign minister. Juras Taminskas will lead the transport ministry.

Rita Tamašunienė, delegated by the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Union (LLRA-KŠS), retains her position as justice minister, while Edvinas Grikšas, from the Farmers’ faction, remains economy and innovation minister. The Democratic Union “For Lithuania” provides the energy, healthcare, and agriculture ministers: Lukas Savickas, Linas Kukuraitis, and Kęstutis Mažeika, respectively.

The previous government, led by Inga Ruginienė, stepped down after the ruling coalition was reformed and Sinkevičius announced his decision to take over as prime minister.