Lithuanian president applauds premier's departure as appropriate choice
Lithuania's Prime Minister Resigns, Paving Way for Successor
Gintautas Paluckas, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, has announced his resignation, following allegations of corruption and business controversies. This decision comes after a meeting with President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday morning.
Paluckas, who has held the post since mid-December, has yet to submit his official resignation. However, the president believes that Paluckas made the right decision in stepping down.
In the wake of Paluckas' resignation, Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius was appointed as acting prime minister on a caretaker basis. The Social Democrats, Lithuania's ruling party, held a nomination meeting and selected Inga Ruginienė as their candidate for prime minister. Ruginienė, the current Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, is seen as a suitable choice to restore the party’s reputation.
Ruginienė, aged 44, is a younger generation politician without major scandals. However, some critics have questioned her political experience and raised issues regarding her family ties and frequent visits to Russia.
The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party will now begin consultations on possible coalition arrangements. Under the Lithuanian Constitution, the entire Cabinet must step down along with the prime minister. President Nauseda has expressed a desire for most ministers in Paluckas' Cabinet to stay on, but this will depend on the composition of the new coalition.
President Nauseda has also mentioned several potential candidates for the next prime minister, but he has not discussed the matter in detail due to the lack of a formal resignation letter from Paluckas.
As the consultations for forming a new ruling coalition and government begin, President Nauseda plans to request all possible and impossible information from relevant services to prevent similar issues from happening again.
Inga Ruginienė's confirmation as the next Prime Minister of Lithuania is pending parliamentary approval. If approved, she will become the first female prime minister in the country's history.
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