Key facts
- Mindaugas Sinkevičius has been approved as Lithuania's new prime minister by the Seimas.
- Sinkevičius is a member of the Social Democrats and the third from the party to hold the role since the 2024 parliamentary election.
- He succeeds Inga Ruginienė, who resigned following a reshuffling of the ruling coalition.
- Sinkevičius, 42, must now form a cabinet and present a government program for approval within 15 days.
- Sinkevičius has a long political career in Jonava, serving as mayor and previously as economy minister.
Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, has approved Mindaugas Sinkevičius as the country's new prime minister. Sinkevičius, a member of the Social Democrats, becomes the third prime minister from his party since they won the 2024 parliamentary election. He replaces Inga Ruginienė, who resigned last week after the ruling coalition underwent a reshuffle.
Sinkevičius, 42, stated his intention to be a unifying leader. He now has 15 days to assemble a cabinet and draft a government program, which will require approval from President Gitanas Nausėda and the Seimas.
His political background includes serving as mayor of Jonava, a role he held with interruptions since 2011. He also briefly served as economy minister in 2016. Sinkevičius's return to prominence followed a period where criminal proceedings against him related to allegations of misusing municipal funds were dismissed by Lithuania's Supreme Court.