Lithuania’s ruling coalition agreement has collapsed after President Gitanas Nausėda rejected two Cabinet nominees from the Nemunas Dawn party, its leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis said Monday.
“Yes, the agreement automatically ends when the deadline for forming the government passes,” Žemaitaitis told reporters. “If the Cabinet is not filled with Nemunas Dawn party members, the coalition automatically ends and the formation of a new one begins.”
Nausėda on Monday refused to appoint Povilas Poderskis as environment minister and lawyer Mindaugas Jablonskis as energy minister, both nominated by Nemunas Dawn. Earlier, the president asked Prime Minister-designate Inga Ruginienė to submit new candidates, insisting that ministers must be beyond doubt in their ability to defend the public interest and resist pressure from special interests.
Žemaitaitis called the decision “a slap in the face” to Ruginienė and the Social Democrats, the largest party in the coalition, and argued it amounted to a vote of no confidence in the incoming prime minister.
“I can hardly imagine her taking office as prime minister after today,” he said. “If I were in that situation, I would automatically have to resign because the president expressed no confidence in the people chosen by the prime minister.”
The coalition deal, signed in August, brought together the Social Democrats, Nemunas Dawn, the Farmers and Greens Union and the Christian Families Alliance to form Lithuania’s 20th government. Under the agreement, Nemunas Dawn was to oversee the environment, energy and agriculture ministries. The party’s nominee for agriculture minister, Andrius Palionis, was appointed.
Žemaitaitis said the president’s office had indicated it wanted former minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, nominated by a party no longer in the ruling majority, to remain in charge of the Energy Ministry. He described the move as undermining democracy and the separation of powers.
The Nemunas Dawn leader did not rule out nominating new candidates, but said in that case they would be party members. “There are 2,800 party members; we could print the full list from the Justice Ministry and submit it to the prime minister,” he said sarcastically.
Nausėda has repeatedly stated that he will not appoint Nemunas Dawn members to ministerial posts because Žemaitaitis is on trial for anti-Semitic statements and Holocaust denial. Prosecutors have also launched a separate investigation into the party’s financing.
Žemaitaitis said the coalition parties will meet in the coming days to discuss the political fallout.
Seimas speaker says coalition stands
Juozas Olekas, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Monday that the ruling coalition agreement remains in force despite Žemaitaitis’ statements.
“I believe the coalition is working, although there may be different emotions and positions,” he told reporters.
The speaker said work under the coalition agreement continues and he sees no reason for Nemunas Dawn to leave the bloc.
He said representatives from coalition parties were holding consultations and discussing “the work of committees and commissions – everything is proceeding according to the coalition deal”.
Olekas acknowledged that the president’s decision to reject two Nemunas Dawn ministerial candidates has created tensions, but said the best solution would be for the party to propose new ones.
The Social Democrat did not rule out reshuffling the cabinet and giving the party other minister posts, even though most have already been appointed by the president.
“I’ve said before that I wouldn’t wish anyone to work in a minority government. It’s tense, complicated, and makes it much harder to deliver on the promises we made to the Lithuanian people,” the speaker said.
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