Lithuania’s ruling Social Democratic Party nominated Inga Ruginienė as its candidate for prime minister, following the resignation of Gintautas Paluckas. Ruginienė, currently Minister of Social Security and Labour, is expected to bring a new tone to Lithuanian leadership, one grounded in her long-standing ties to trade unions and social advocacy. Her nomination comes after a turbulent week in Lithuanian politics, sparked by Prime Minister Paluckas’s resignation on July 31 in the wake of a conflict-of-interest scandal involving public funds and private business dealings connected to his family. During the interim, Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius has been appointed acting prime minister by President Gitanas Nausėda.
Inga Ruginienė, aged 44, is relatively new to parliamentary politics but brings a strong background in social activism. Before entering government in 2024, she led the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation and served as vice-president of the European Trade Union Confederation. Her swift rise through the ranks of the Social Democratic Party reflects her credibility on labor and welfare issues, as well as the party’s need to restore public trust following Paluckas’s departure. Her appointment represents a shift towards a more socially focused leadership style, with emphasis on protecting workers’ rights and reinforcing welfare policies.
The broader political context of Ruginienė’s nomination is defined by the October 2024 parliamentary elections, in which the Social Democrats made a dramatic comeback. They expanded their presence in the Seimas from just 13 to 52 seats, defeating the incumbent conservative Homeland Union. The Social Democrats then formed a coalition government with the center-left Union of Democrats “For Lithuania” and the nationalist Dawn of Nemunas, a controversial move due to the latter party’s far-right rhetoric and the past anti-Semitic remarks of its leader. The fragility of this coalition is one of the key challenges that Ruginienė must now manage.
The resignation of Gintautas Paluckas highlighted the pressure on coalition leaders to maintain credibility and cohesion. While Paluckas initially enjoyed support for forming a broad-based government, recent controversies surrounding ethics and transparency left him increasingly isolated. His departure cleared the way for Ruginienė, whose personal reputation remains untarnished and whose background in labor advocacy may help bridge ideological divides within the coalition.
Ruginienė now faces the formal challenge of securing a vote of confidence in the Seimas and having her government program approved. Her party lacks an outright majority, and she must carefully negotiate with coalition partners whose policy goals diverge, particularly on issues such as immigration, education, and EU relations. Despite these difficulties, observers note that Ruginienė’s pragmatic style and experience in consensus-building as a union leader could be assets in navigating this fragmented political environment.
Her nomination is being closely watched both within Lithuania and across Europe. If confirmed, she will become only the second woman to hold the office of prime minister in the country’s post-Soviet history. While the political road ahead is uncertain, Inga Ruginienė’s candidacy offers a fresh start and signals a potentially more socially oriented chapter in Lithuania’s political development. Her success or failure will likely hinge on her ability to reconcile competing political agendas while advancing policies that address the needs of ordinary Lithuanians in a time of economic and social transition.
