Lithuania’s governing coalition named a new prime minister on Tuesday, after a coalition reshuffle that expelled a populist junior partner.
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The appointment of Mindaugas Sinkevičius, the head of the Social Democratic party who briefly served as economy minister, was confirmed by Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda.
Sinkevičius will replace current prime minister Inga Ruginienė, also a Social Democrat.
“I confirm my commitment to take responsibility for forming the new Government and to serve as Prime Minister, ” Sinkevičius said in a Facebook post, adding that he was acting “with full awareness of the expectations of the people.”
The Social Democrats, who lead the governing coalition, had announced in early June that they would be ousting populist party Nemunas Dawn, criticising its leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis of making “inflammatory statements.”
Last year, Žemaitaitis was found guilty by a Vilnius court of inciting hatred against Jews and downplaying the Holocaust.
But he claims he was not given clear reasons for his party’s removal from the coalition.
The new centre-left, three-party coalition will still be led by Social Democrats, with the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens and Christian Families Union group and the Democrats “For Lithuania” as minority partners.
It will have 75 seats in the 141-seat parliament.
In their coalition agreement, the three parties pledged to maintain a socially oriented programme, with continued emphasis on defence spending, a key issue for the ex-Soviet republic that today is a NATO and EU member closely allied to Ukraine.
The three-party coalition must still sign an agreement formalising the new alliance, expected to take place on 18 June, which will then be approved by the country’s president.
Additional sources • AFP
