President Gitanas Nausėda on Monday formally accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and his cabinet, appointing Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius to lead the interim government.
“The president has signed a decree regarding the resignation of the government and has tasked the interim cabinet with continuing its duties,” presidential adviser Tomas Beržinskas told BNS.
Šadžius, a longtime Social Democrat and current finance minister, will serve as acting prime minister while the government functions in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed.
Under the Lithuanian constitution, once a prime minister resigns, the entire government must step down. The president then has 15 days to nominate a new prime minister for parliamentary approval.
The ruling Social Democratic Party, which holds the largest faction in the parliament, Seimas, is expected to decide on its nominee during a presidium meeting on Wednesday.
Potential candidates reportedly being considered include Jonava Mayor Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who has temporarily assumed party leadership; Minister of Social Security and Labour Inga Ruginienė; First Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas; and Vilnius District Mayor Robert Duchnevič.
Once the new prime minister is approved by parliament, they will have up to 15 days to present a cabinet and government programme agreed upon with the president. Both must be approved by the Seimas in a vote.
The change in prime minister will also require an amendment to the current three-party coalition agreement, which explicitly commits coalition partners to supporting the government led by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.
The coalition, formed after last year’s elections, includes the Social Democrats, the Democrats “For Lithuania”, and the Nemunas Dawn party. The Democrats have indicated they may push to exclude Nemunas Dawn from the coalition in any renegotiated agreement.
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