Former Lithuania Prime Minister Adolfas Šleževičius has passed away at the age of 75.
The death of the politician was confirmed on social media by journalist and historian Vilius Kavaliauskas.
“Adolfas Šleževičius, the prime minister who held the post between 1993 and 1996, passed away on Tuesday morning after a long illness,” Kavaliauskas said.
“Although he did not complete his term of office, the country made significant progress during those years: foreign troops were withdrawn, the litas was introduced, inflation was contained, and the country’s international relations were expanded,” he added.
The death of Šleževičius was also announced by Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen during the Seimas session.
“Dear colleagues, sad news has reached us. This morning, the former Lithuanian Prime Minister Adolfas Šleževičius passed away after a serious illness. I invite you to observe a moment of silence in his memory,” she said.
Before becoming prime minister, Šleževičius worked as a lecturer and engineer. He was a member of the Communist Party, the Communist Party of independent Lithuania, and chairman of the Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania since 1990.
On March 10, 1993, Šleževičius succeeded Bronislovas Lubys as Lithuanian prime minister. During his leadership, he continued the reforms initiated after the declaration of independence, with a greater orientation towards the social sphere; he tried to maintain good relations with both the West and Russia.
Šleževičius was forced to resign after the suspension of the activities of the Lithuanian Innovation Bank in December 1995. A few weeks later, it was revealed that the prime minister withdrew a deposit from the bank the day before it went bankrupt, ie he may have used his official position to get relevant information.
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