Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius (Photo/AP)
Social Democratic Party leader Mindaugas Sinkevicius became Lithuania’s new prime minister on Tuesday after parliament approved his government’s programme, paving the way for his government to take office.Lithuania, a member of NATO and the European Union, shares borders with Russia and Belarus. The Baltic state is the biggest spender on defense in NATO as a share of its economy, with an estimated 5.33% of its GDP allocated to defense this year.In presenting his government’s platform, Sinkevicius pledged to keep defense spending above 5% of GDP, continue to seek a US troop presence in Lithuania as a deterrent against Russia, and maintain support for Ukraine.“It would be a mistake to believe that the Russian military threat is receding due to the significant losses it is now incurring,” Sinkevicius told parliament, referring to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.Sinkevicius succeeds fellow Social Democrat Inga Roggenini, who has served as Prime Minister since last year. She stepped aside to allow the party leader to take power following recent political unrest within the ruling coalition.
The new center-left coalition includes the Social Democratic Party, the For Lithuania Party, the Farmers’ Party and the Green Union, giving the government a narrow parliamentary majority.The populist Fajr Nemunas party, whose leader faces charges of inciting hatred against Jews and downplaying the Holocaust, is no longer part of the ruling coalition.In the 141-member parliament, 72 deputies voted in favor of the government program, while 29 opposed it and four abstained from voting. As for the rest of the members, they were absent.Lithuania’s next parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2028.(With inputs from Reuters)
