The Parliament of Lithuania approves social democrat Gintautas Paluckas as prime minister

MADRID 21 Nov. () –

The Seimas, the unicameral Parliament of Lithuania, approved this Thursday the social democrat Gintautas Paluckas as the new prime minister in a vote that resulted in 88 supports, another 36 against and six abstentions, just two days after President Gitanas Nauseda He was tasked with forming a government.

He is scheduled to meet with President Nauseda this Thursday to discuss the formation of his cabinet. After this meeting, he will have a period of fifteen days to present his ministers and government program to Parliament, reports the Lithuanian channel LRT.

Paluckas assumed the task of forming a government after the theoretical candidate of the Social Democratic Party (LSDP), Vilija Blinkeviciute, resigned citing her age – 64 years – and state of health, although she will remain as a deputy in the European Parliament. The LSDP won 52 seats in the October elections.

Despite the victory, the scenario for the Social Democrats is not easy, and they have been forced to agree with other parties to try to carry out a three-way coalition made up of the center-left Democrats for Lithuania; and the nationalists of Amanecer de Nemunas.

As things stand, this controversial government coalition would have 86 of the 141 seats that make up the Lithuanian Parliament.