Irena Segalovičienė, an adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, was appointed as the country’s auditor general.
In a secret ballot on Tuesday, 69 MPs backed her appointment, 25 voted against, seven abstained, and four ballots were declared invalid.
"Independence, effectiveness, accountability, and transparency are the areas in which I will strive to uphold the highest standards at the National Audit Office," Segalovičienė, the chief economic and social policy advisor to the president, told the parliament before the vote.
"I will work honestly, courageously, responsibly, and professionally to defend the interests of the Lithuanian state and its citizens," she added.
She was nominated for the post by President Nausėda.
Mindaugas Lingė, head of the opposition conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats political group, said before the vote that the proposal reflected a double standard.
He argued that political neutrality is crucial for the institution and that the president's nomination raised concerns about how these principles would be upheld.
"Just like a stick has two ends, the presidential office's air conditioners can both heat and cool. Some get chilled, while others get warm posts through political appointments," he said.
Jurgis Razma, another conservative MP, questioned why the current auditor was not considered for a second term, pointing out that the National Audit Office's performance had improved.
"I thought we had reached a point of political maturity in our state where a well-performing head could expect a second term," he said.
Liberal MP Simonas Kairys also said he would not support the nomination. After his political group met with the incoming auditor general, he said they were not convinced that she would be able to resist political pressure.
Amid opposition criticism, Nausėda insisted he would not interfere in Segalovičienė’s work, and she pledged that she would not aim to please him.
In nominating Segaloviciene, the president said that his advisor is a capable professional who, as auditor general, will work to ensure that public funds are used efficiently and that the National Audit Office becomes more actively involved in the formation of the state budget and provides higher-quality recommendations.
Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the parliament, has said that the auditor general is not a political position and that the political "cooling off" period does not apply to presidential advisors, as the president does not belong to any political party.
Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has described Segalovičienė as a strong candidate for the role of auditor general.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary opposition has warned of the risks of politicising and discrediting the institution.
She will also oversee the audit of the public broadcaster LRT.
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