Lithuania Elects Inga Ruginienė as New Prime Minister Following Resignation of Gintautas Paluckas
- Victor Nwoko
- Aug 26
- 2 min read
Lithuania’s parliament has elected Inga Ruginienė, a former labor union leader and relative newcomer to politics, as the country’s new prime minister after her predecessor stepped down amid investigations into his business dealings.
Ruginienė, 44, was approved on Tuesday with 78 votes in favor and 35 against. The former head of Lithuania’s labor union confederation only joined the center-left Social Democratic Party before last year’s general election. She went on to serve as minister for social affairs and labor under Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, who resigned in late July after less than a year in office.
Paluckas faced mounting scrutiny following media investigations into his financial and business ventures, some dating back more than a decade. Anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies subsequently opened formal inquiries into the allegations.
President Gitanas Nausėda, who nominated Ruginienė, praised her as “a constructive negotiator who seeks compromise” ahead of the vote. Addressing lawmakers, Ruginienė pledged to prioritize “restoring stability” and ensuring that the government fulfills the mandate entrusted to it by voters.
On Monday, the Social Democrats signed a coalition agreement with two junior partners, one of which is entering government for the first time. The coalition now holds a clear majority in the 141-seat parliament, or Seimas, with 82 seats.
Ruginienė still requires a formal appointment by the president and swearing-in before parliament, but both steps are considered procedural. Her government is expected to serve out the remainder of the current four-year term that began after last year’s election.
Foreign policy is unlikely to shift significantly, as President Nausėda remains the country’s chief representative abroad. Lithuania has been one of the strongest European supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion — a stance widely supported across the nation of 2.8 million people.
Lithuania, a member of both the European Union and NATO, is strategically located on the alliance’s eastern flank, sharing borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.
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