VILNIUS (Reuters) -Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of letting Social Affairs Minister Inga Ruginiene seek to form a new cabinet, bringing her a step closer to leading the government.
Lithuania's Parliament Approves Inga Ruginiene to Form New Cabinet
Inga Ruginiene's Path to Leadership
VILNIUS (Reuters) -Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of letting Social Affairs Minister Inga Ruginiene seek to form a new cabinet, bringing her a step closer to leading the government.
Parliamentary Approval Process
Ruginiene of the ruling Social Democrats party must still get the president to approve her cabinet, and will face a second vote by parliament in September to confirm its manifesto.
Defense Spending Commitments
The 44-year-old former trade union leader joined the cabinet only in 2024 and has been thrust into the limelight following the sudden resignation last month of Gintautas Paluckas over his business ties to a company owned by his sister-in-law.
Current Acting Prime Minister
Ruginiene has said she will continue Lithuania's support for Ukraine, and Paluckas' government pledge to spend 5-6% of gross domestic product on defence over the next several years.
Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius is currently the acting prime minister until a new cabinet is sworn in.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik)
