Lithuania's social democrats voted Saturday to reshuffle the governing coalition by kicking out the controversial Nemunas Dawn populist party and inviting Democrats "For Lithuania".
“We can see that we are not moving towards greater stability in the country, and the party’s chairman may even be becoming more radical. We believe that what society needs today is the opposite: stability, a clear direction, decision-making, rather than political noise,” Mindaugas Sinkevičius, chairman of Lithuania’s Social Democratic Party (LSDP), told reporters.
The opposition and some Social Democrats have questioned from the outset whether the LSDP should remain in coalition with the controversial Nemunas Dawn populist party led by Remigijus Žemaitaitis.
Earlier this week, Sinkevičius said he was considering three possible scenarios, which he intended to present to the party council.
Unofficial reports suggest these could involve changes not only among ministers but also the replacement of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.
A reset of the governing coalition may be part of the Social Democrats’ efforts to improve the party’s image and boost its ratings ahead of next year’s municipal elections.
Meanwhile, opposition Liberals and Conservatives said this week that they were convinced the governing parties wanted to replace Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, a former adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda.
Prime Minister Ruginienė, however, has expressed confidence in him.
Some Social Democrats have openly voiced dissatisfaction with Žemaitaitis for criticising several of their ministers, including Budrys.
Following the 2024 parliamentary elections, the Social Democrats formed a governing coalition with Nemunas Dawn and Democrats "for Lithuania".
However, the Democrats were replaced in the coalition by the parliamentary group of the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens and Christian Families Union.
The coalition currently holds 80 seats in the Seimas.
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