Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius has been appointed as a short-term prime minister following the resignation of Gintautas Paluckas and his government.
Šadžius took up the post on Monday and will serve as Lithuania’s caretaker PM until parliament elects a new government. He is a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and was the country’s finance minister under Paluckas.
Since the Social Democrats are the largest faction in the Lithuanian parliament, they are expected to propose a new candidate for prime minister. According to local media, the nomination is set to take place on Wednesday. President Gitanas Nausėda formally nominates the candidate, who must then be confirmed by parliament.
Once approved, the new prime minister has 15 days to present a cabinet and submit a government program for parliamentary approval. Šadžius is not among the top candidates for the job.
Former Prime Minister Paluckas resigned last week amid an investigation into alleged financial crimes. His cabinet had been in office for only eight months.
A political veteran, Šadžius has served three times as finance minister, his first term starting in 2007. During his second term, between 2012 and 2016, Lithuania joined the eurozone. In June, he was a candidate to become the president of the Eurogroup, but withdrew his candidacy due to insufficient support.
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