Lithuanian president approves new govt without environment, energy ministers

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday signed a decree approving the composition of the government led by Inga Ruginiene without the ministers of the environment and energy, despite the fact that he had been presented with the candidates for all 14 ministries.

The candidates for environment and energy ministers were nominated by the Nemunas Dawn party as it received the two portfolios under the coalition agreement.

The party proposed Povilas Poderskis for environment minister and lawyer Mindaugas Jablonskis for energy minister and the two were also included in Ruginiene's submission to the president.

However, the president already stated earlier on Tuesday that he could not decide on the two candidates as they were nominated on the last day and as he has not yet met with Poderskis and Jablonskis and has not received a report from the special services on Jablonskis.

After the president announced after the Seimas election that he would not approve Nemunas Dawn members as ministers, the party had difficulty finding candidates for these positions.

The new government will receive powers to act once the Seimas approves its program. This will probably happen next week, so the ruling parties still have time to agree with the president on the candidates for the ministers of the environment and energy.

Vaida Aleknaviciene will serve as culture minister in the Ruginiene government, Kestutis Budrys will remain as foreign minister, and Edvinas Griksas will serve as economy and innovation minister.

Marija Jakubauskiene will continue to serve as health minister and Vladislav Kondratovic will stay as interior minister. Meanwhile, Andrius Palionis has been newly appointed to lead the Agriculture Ministry. 

Raminta Popoviene will continue working as education minister, and Dovile Sakaliene will continue serving as defense minister.

Rita Tamasuniene, Juras Taminskas, Kristupas Vaitiekunas, and Juratė Zailskiene will serve as new ministers leading the Ministries of Justice, Transport and Communications, Finance, and Social Security and Labor respectively.

The new government in Lithuania was formed following the resignation of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.

The new ruling coalition now includes the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Nemunas Dawn party, and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and the Christian Families Alliance political group in the Seimas.