Riga, 21 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) – Gintautas Paluckas was elected prime minister by the Lithuanian parliament in Vilnius on Thursday, with 88 members voting in favour, 36 opposed and six abstaining.

Paluckas, the deputy leader of the Social Democratic Party (LSDP), had earlier been nominated by President Gitanas Nausėda after the LSDP won a clear victory in parliamentary elections held in October.

Nausėda now has to formally nominate Paluckas, an IT specialist by profession, before the prime minister can present his cabinet and government programme to the parliament of the EU and NATO member for another vote.

The LSDP went into the election under its popular leader, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, who stepped aside after the elections, citing declining health and her age of 64. She proposed Paluckas as prime minister in her stead.

In a step that has provoked controversy in Lithuania and abroad, Paluckas has announced his intention to include Dawn of Nemunas in his government, despite minor objections from within the LSDP, which had declared during the campaign that it would not cooperate with the nationalist and populist party.

Dawn of Nemunas leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, is currently on trial for allegedly making anti-Semitic comments. Nausėda has said he will not nominate any Dawn of Nemunas members to his cabinet.

The third party in Nausėda's new government is the Democratic Union of Lithuania, bringing the coalition up to 86 of the 141 seats in parliament.

In Lithuania, government ministers are nominated and dismissed by the president, on the recommendation of the prime minister.

Paluckas was to meet Nausėda on Thursday afternoon. Opponents of Dawn of Nemunas were to hold a protest against the party's inclusion during the evening.

MIA file photo