Lithuania’s parliament has approved Gintautas Paluckas, deputy leader of the victorious Social Democrats (LSDP), as the country’s next prime minister.
Paluckas, who previously served as the leader of the LSDP, was widely expected to take the role after the party’s current leader, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, opted to remain in the European Parliament rather than assume the position of prime minister.
Paluckas now faces a 15-day deadline to assemble a Cabinet and outline his government’s priorities for parliamentary approval.
Following their electoral win in late October, the LSDP announced plans to form a coalition government with the right-wing Nemunas Dawn party and the center-left For Lithuania party. However, the decision to include Nemunas Dawn in the coalition has proven controversial, as its leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, is currently on trial for making antisemitic remarks. This decision has ignited protests, reflecting public opposition to Žemaitaitis’s participation in the government.
Compounding the controversy, Lithuania’s Prosecutor General, Nida Grunskienė, requested on Wednesday that parliament strip Žemaitaitis of his immunity as part of the legal proceedings against him.
Paluckas, a 45-year-old computer scientist, has a long history in Lithuanian politics. He led the LSDP from 2017 to 2021 and previously served as deputy mayor of Vilnius from 2015 to 2019.
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