The Lithuanian Parliament approves the appointment of Mindaugas as the new Prime Minister

The Lithuanian Parliament on Tuesday elected Mindaugas Sienkevicius, head of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, as prime minister, by a majority of 80 votes to two, with 28 members abstaining from voting.

Last week, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausida nominated Sinkevicius, 42 years old, for the position of Prime Minister, succeeding Inga Roginen, who also belongs to the center-left Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, as part of the restructuring of the ruling coalition.

Sinkevicius will have to submit his government formation and program to a vote again in Parliament after he is officially appointed by Nauseda. Sinkevicius has served as mayor of Jonava Central Municipality since 2011.

In his speech to Parliament, Sinkevicius pledged stability and responsible leadership.

“Lithuania is going through difficult times,” he said, referring to Russia’s war on Ukraine, which Lithuanian leaders see as a direct threat to their country.

Lithuania is a member of both the European Union and NATO, and is adjacent to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and Russia’s ally, Belarus.

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party changed its coalition partner in mid-June, ending its cooperation with the populist nationalist Fajr Nemunas party. The new multi-party coalition holds 75 of the 141 seats in the Vilnius Parliament.

Last Thursday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausida nominated Mindaugas Sienkevicius for the position of Prime Minister, and assigned him to form a new government amid a cabinet reshuffle.