Lithuanian president, PM to meet on Wednesday to discuss new Cabinet

  • 2024-07-30
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is set to meet with newly appointed Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Wednesday to discuss the future Cabinet.

Nauseda re-appointed Simonyte following the recent presidential election after which the government returned its powers to the president.

"The meeting is planned for tomorrow afternoon, the topic is the Cabinet of Ministers," Frederikas Jansonsas, a presidential advisor, told BNS on Tuesday.

Nauseda appointed Simonyte as prime minister on July 22 July and, according to the law, tasked her with forming the Cabinet within 15 days, which means that the deadline expires next week.

During the presidential election campaign, Nauseda said he wanted a government reshuffle. Health and Agriculture Ministers Arunas Dulkys and Kestutis Navickas have recently been criticized by the president and his team lately.

For her part, Simonyte is yet to say whether and which ministers she will change. In her words, if any change in the government does take place, it should lead to better quality of work.

The Cabinet is being re-appointed because the Constitution obliges the prime minister to resign during the inauguration of the new president. Re-elected in May for a second term, Nauseda was sworn in earlier this month.

The ruling bloc also maintains that there is no point in appointing new ministers before the upcoming Seimas election in October.

Negotiations on the new government are also taking place as Lithuania is choosing who will represent it in the European Commission.