Lithuanian Minister Nominated for Prime Minister following Paluck’s Resignation
Vilnius, Lithuania – Inga Ruginienė, the current Minister of Social Security and Labor, has been selected as the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s (LSDP) candidate for Prime Minister, following Gintautas Paluck‘s recent decision to step down. the decision was made during a wednesday meeting of the LSDP Presidium.
Prior to Ruginienė’s nomination, several other potential candidates were considered, including Jonava district mayor Mindaugas Sinkevičius, Vice-President of the Seimas Juozas Olekas, Vilnius District Mayor Robertas Duchnevičius, Interim minister of Transport and Communications Eugenijus Sabutis, and Advisor to the Minister of Education, Science and Sports Rimantas Vaitkus. Though, Sinkevičius, Duchnevičius, Olekas, Vaitkus, and Sabutis all withdrew their candidacy before the final decision.
Ruginienė has personal ties to Ukraine, having visited relatives in Kramatorsk in 2015 and 2018 through her grandmother’s lineage. She understands the Ukrainian language and has publicly voiced her support for Ukraine’s victory.
Paluck’s resignation triggered the resignation of the entire Cabinet of Ministers, though current Minister of Finance Rimantas Šadžius will continue in a temporary capacity until a new government is formed.The process of forming a new government is now underway with Ruginienė at the forefront as the Social Democratic candidate for Prime Minister.
