After 10 months leading the executive, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė resigns: In politics, nothing lasts forever

Inga Ruginienė, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, has submitted her resignation along with her cabinet, bringing to an end a 10-month period at the head of the government.

After the formation of the new executive, she is expected to return to her post as Minister of Social Affairs.

According to local media, the next government is expected to be led by Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who would become the third Social Democratic prime minister after the 2024 elections.

In a statement made after the cabinet’s final meeting, Ruginienė said that “in politics, nothing is permanent,” underscoring that every mandate has a limited duration and that her government had made proper use of its time in office.

During her term, the government faced several crises, including incidents linked to balloon smuggling, drone violations, a record increase in the defense budget, and dismissals in several ministries.

She also faced criticism over official trips attended by family members, as well as over the way leaked information from the Register Center was managed, issues that were mentioned as factors influencing the end of her term.

However, Ruginienė described the resignations as part of a normal political process and stressed that the transfer of power to Sinkevičius had been planned earlier.

President Gitanas Nausėda is expected to formally submit Sinkevičius’s candidacy to the Seimas parliament, after which it will be up to that institution to decide on the approval of the new government.

Parallel to these moves, the changes in government are also being accompanied by a review of the governing coalition and a redistribution of ministries among the participating parties.