Lithuania President Gitanas Nausėda Appoints Finance Minister as Acting PM After Paluckas Resigns

 

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has appointed Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius as the country’s acting prime minister, following the formal resignation of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. The announcement was made through an official decree published by the president’s office on Monday.

Paluckas had declared last Thursday that he would step down after facing growing political pressure over undisclosed business ties to a company owned by his sister-in-law. His formal resignation was submitted at the start of the week.

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President Nausėda instructed Sadzius to temporarily take on the responsibilities of prime minister until a new government is formed. This caretaker leadership is expected to hold power until a permanent cabinet can be assembled and approved. The decision comes at a critical political moment as the country transitions leadership amid controversy and limited parliamentary activity during the summer recess.

While Rimantas Sadzius has been named acting prime minister, attention is now turning to who will permanently lead Lithuania’s next government. Analysts believe the new prime minister will likely be nominated by the Social Democrat party, which had backed Gintautas Paluckas.

However, the Social Democrats hold only 52 of the 141 seats in parliament, meaning any nomination will require coalition-building or external support to secure a majority vote. The final decision will not occur immediately, as the Lithuanian parliament is currently on its summer break and is scheduled to reconvene on September 10.

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The resignation and interim appointment mark a turbulent chapter for the ruling party, as it navigates both internal scandal and political maneuvering. As the largest party in the assembly, the Social Democrats will play a central role in selecting the next leader, but they must act quickly to restore public trust and stabilize the government ahead of the fall session.