On Thursday, the Lithuanian Parliament passed the government platform proposed by the newly appointed Prime Minister, Inga Ruginiene, a member of the Social Democratic Party. Ruginiene, along with 14 ministers, took the oath of office, officially forming the 20th cabinet.
At 44 years old, Ruginiene previously served as a trade union leader and entered parliament in 2024, being seen as a rising star in politics. She pledged to continue the pro-Ukraine policy of the previous government and increase investment in defense.
Ruginiene stated her plan to raise defense spending to 5% to 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the coming years to ensure national security. She emphasized, “My goal is for the people to feel secure due to a stronger defense and improved social care by the end of my term.”
In July of this year, former Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas resigned due to conflicts of interest involving family businesses, leading to the collapse of the ruling coalition.
Ruginiene was nominated by President Gitanas Nauseda and approved by the parliament on August 26 to take over as prime minister and form a new government.
After taking over the restructuring, Ruginiene successfully formed a center-right alliance, expected to hold around 82 out of the 141 parliamentary seats. The vote on Thursday showed that 80 members supported the new government platform, 40 opposed, 2 abstained, and the rest were absent from the vote. The new government was sworn in and officially took office.
The ruling coalition led by Ruginiene consists of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Dawn of the Nemunas Party, the Farmers and Greens Party, and the Christian Family Alliance. Her cabinet formation faced several challenges and took 30 days to complete, with 8 new ministers appointed and 6 remaining in their positions.
However, during the coalition restructuring, Ruginiene chose to include the populist-leaning Dawn of the Nemunas Party to ensure a majority in parliament, sparking criticism.
The party leader, Remigijus Zemaitaitis, faced controversy in 2023 for making inflammatory remarks about Israel and Jewish people on social media. This led to the Constitutional Court ruling him in violation of parliamentary oaths. Despite resigning from his seat in April 2024, he was re-elected in October of the same year and is currently facing legal proceedings.
Zemaitaitis denies any wrongdoing and continues to oppose increased military spending, criticizing the government for weakening education and social welfare systems, even accusing Ukraine of issues like corruption, arms sales, and betraying the country. Earlier this month, thousands protested in the capital, Vilnius, against the party’s inclusion in the government.
President Nauseda explicitly stated that Zemaitaitis and members of his party are not permitted to hold cabinet positions to mitigate social backlash.
The next parliamentary elections in Lithuania are scheduled for 2028, indicating that the Ruginiene government is likely to complete its full term in office. The focus of her administration will be on continuing support for Ukraine, increasing defense spending, and balancing social needs such as education and healthcare.
As the head of the government, the Lithuanian Prime Minister is nominated by the President and assumes office after a parliamentary vote, responsible for domestic policies, daily administration, forming the cabinet, and implementing government plans, being accountable to the parliament for political decisions.