Embattled Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said Wednesday he will seek a vote of confidence in the parliament, Seimas, amid mounting scrutiny over his past and business ties.
“To ensure the continued smooth functioning of the government and the ruling coalition, I have firmly decided to test political confidence in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,” Paluckas said in a statement released by the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party. “I have no doubt this assessment will contribute to the continued constructive work of the cabinet.”
Paluckas, who is facing increasing pressure over recent revelations regarding his business affairs, described the criticism as part of a “coordinated attack” by political opponents.
“For several months now, we have witnessed a concentrated effort by the opposition to destabilise the government and change the current leadership,” he said.
The announcement came after President Gitanas Nausėda urged the prime minister to explain the latest allegations and recommended that he seek parliamentary approval.
“I asked the prime minister to publicly clarify the newly emerged facts and strongly suggested he seek political confidence in Parliament,” Nausėda said in a separate statement issued by the presidential office on Wednesday, following a phone call with Paluckas.
Paluckas’ decision comes as opposition parties prepare to initiate an extraordinary session of the Seimas, during which they may seek to launch impeachment proceedings against him.
A series of embarrassing investigative reports about Paluckas’ past and present businesses have appeared in recent weeks. Some of them are currently under investigation by the country’s anti-corruption and law enforcement bodies, while the prime minister himself insists he has not broken any laws.
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