Lithuanian president appoints Ruginiene as prime minister

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has appointed Inga Ruginiene as prime minister.

Under a decree signed by the president on Tuesday evening, the Social Democrat has 15 days to form a Cabinet and present the government's program to the parliament.

Nauseda signed the decree after the parliament approved her nomination earlier in the day.

Ruginiene said after meeting with Nauseda on Tuesday that they agreed to begin talks with Cabinet candidates by first meeting with acting Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys and acting Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene.

She said she had discussed all ministerial positions with the president.

Ruginiene, 44, is a newcomer to politics. She joined the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) last fall and ran in the parliamentary election. After the party won, she was appointed social security and labor minister in the Cabinet of Social Democrat Gintautas Paluckas.

Before entering politics, she served as chairwoman of the Confederation of Lithuanian Trade Unions.

Ruginiene holds several degrees: a master's in public health from Vilnius University (2005), a bachelor's in forest management from Kaunas Forestry and Environmental Engineering College (2015), and a master's in labor law from Mykolas Romeris University (2022).

Paluckas resigned as prime minister in July, following the launch of two pre-trial investigations into his business dealings and amid mounting questions about his past.

The new government will be formed by three political groups in the parliament – the Social Democrats, Nemunas Dawn and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) together with the Christian Families Alliance – which signed a coalition deal on Monday.