Mindaugas Sinkevičius to become Lithuania's Prime Minister; new coalition formed
Lithuania is set to have a new prime minister, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who will lead a coalition including Democrats 'For Lithuania', the Farmers and Greens, and the Christian Families Union. On foreign policy, he has questioned the effectiveness of sanctions on Belarus and called for a pragmatic approach to China.
New Prime Minister and Coalition
Lithuania is preparing for a change in government leadership. Following the resignation of Gintautas Paluckas last year, Mindaugas Sinkevičius (not to be confused with Virginijus Sinkevičius) is set to become the new prime minister. Sinkevičius has spent most of his career in local politics, briefly serving as a minister in the 2016–2020 government. He was later involved in an expenses scandal, found guilty, but ultimately cleared by the Supreme Court. During that time, he went into business, and those ties continue to follow him back into politics.
The new coalition will see the return of the Democrats 'For Lithuania', who withdrew earlier due to conflicts with Nemunas Dawn. Joining them are the Farmers and Greens and the Christian Families Union. The new government is expected to take office in the coming weeks.
Foreign Policy Stance
On foreign policy, Sinkevičius has questioned the effectiveness of sanctions on Belarus, noting that Vilnius will maintain a joint position with Brussels and stay in contact with the US. Regarding China, he has called for a pragmatic approach. The outgoing Social Democrat government allowed Beijing to open a downgraded diplomatic office, which a senior MP called 'a bow to China', though the PM and Foreign Ministry downplayed the move.
Other Developments
President Gitanas Nausėda, in his annual speech, emphasized that peace is no longer a given and expressed support for Germany, Poland, the US, and NATO. He also welcomed the coalition reshuffle.
Lithuania's parliament is considering a ban on foreign musicians who have performed in Belarus or Russia since the February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The bill previously failed its first reading but has now passed that hurdle.
Defence updates: a defence hub near Jonava will house six factories; a state ammunition company has started making anti-drone rounds; Lithuania signed a deal to buy 100 CV90 infantry fighting vehicles; several dozen troops will help guard critical energy infrastructure.
Since Lithuania's second-pillar pension reform, over 500,000 people withdrew 3 billion euros (3% of GDP), with most of the cash remaining in bank accounts. Around 860,000 remain in the system.
