Lithuania’s incoming new prime minister, Mindaugas Sinkevicius, chairman of the country’s ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), has presented his proposed cabinet of ministers to President Gitanas Nauseda, BNS reports. LSDP has nominated nine ministers to the new coalition government: Lukas Alsys for culture minister, Ieva Andriulaityte for environment minister, Kestutis Budrys for foreign minister, Martynas Katelynas for interior minister, Robertas Kaunas for defence minister, Raminta Popoviene for education minister, outgoing Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene for minister of social security and labour, Juras Taminskas for transport minister, and Taurimas Valys for finance minister. The Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL) will have three ministers: Linas Kukuraitis will serve as health minister, Kestutis Mazeika as agriculture minister, and Lukas Savickas as energy minister. Finally, Edvinas Griksas of the Lithuanian Union of Farmers and Greens (LVZS) will continue as economy minister and Rita Tamasuniene of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA) as justice minister.
Lithuanian political analysts questioned the qualifications of some of the ministerial nominees, BNS reported. Ramunas Vilpisauskas, professor of political science at Vilnius University, pointed to Katelynas’s lack of experience, while Saulius Spurga, associate professor at Mykolas Romeris University, had serious doubts about Valys as finance minister. The opposition Freedom Party held a protest against the appointment of Katelynas as interior minister because of his controversial past statements on migrants and law enforcement, ELTA reported. However, Nauseda defended Katelynas, who he said had “clear views.” At the same time, Nauseda denied rumours that Katelynas’s appointment was part of an agreement with Sinkevicius for Budrys to stay on as foreign minister. Meanwhile, several environmental organisations urged Nauseda not to appoint DSVL MP Mazeika as agriculture minister, Lietuvos Rytas reported. The NGOs expressed doubts about Mazeika’s commitments on biodiversity, climate change, and environmental protection when formulating agriculture policy.