The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Gintautas Paluckas, has announced his resignation, following criticism for his commercial ties with a company in which he is a co-owner and a firm owned by his sister-in-law, involved in a state-funded transaction, IPN reports, citing Reuters.
The Lithuanian Prime Minister stated in a press release that his past mistakes have hindered the Government’s work, which led to his “swift and confident” decision to resign.
According to Reuters, the opposition has accused the prime minister of lacking business ethics, and political pressures have increased after the “For Lithuania” coalition partner threatened to withdraw from the government if he does not resign.
According to Lithuanian political analyst Mazvydas Jastramskis, forming a new majority will be complicated, given that the other parties in the alliance have significant differences: “The other parties do not seem eager to join the Government.”
Although Paluckas denied any wrongdoing, including in relation to the commercial transactions between his company and his sister-in-law’s company, the scandal generated tensions within the governing coalition. Last week, his sister-in-law’s company announced that it was renouncing the funding provided by a government agency, specifying that the purchases were made on the basis of an open tender.
Additionally, the local press reported that Gintautas Paluckas had previously been convicted for abuse of power during his tenure as the director of the municipal administration in Vilnius. The court at the time sanctioned him with a fine, without applying any additional penalties.
The next prime minister is set to be appointed by the Social Democratic Party, which holds 52 out of the 141 seats in Parliament, but will need the support of coalition partners to form a new majority.