The leader of Lithuania's Social Democrats, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, has said he wants to become prime minister of the Baltic state, which is a member of both the European Union and NATO, as part of a government reshuffle.
The 41-year-old politician wrote on Facebook on Tuesday that he was ready to take full responsibility for forming the new government and to serve as its head.
The announcement ended months of speculation that Sinkevičius might replace his party colleague Inga Ruginienė, who had only taken over the post in August 2025 from Gintautas Paluckas, who had resigned over a corruption scandal.
The Social Democrats decided in mid-June to swap out one of their coalition partners, ending their cooperation with the populist Dawn of Nemunas party. They now plan to form an alliance with the opposition Democratic Union for Lithuania instead.
"I am ready to bring coalition partners to work together, pursue necessary changes and ensure that the Government's work is focused on results, people's welfare and strengthening the future of Lithuania," wrote Sinkevičius, who previously served as Lithuania's economy minister.
The new coalition, together with the two remaining existing partners, would hold 75 of the 141 seats in the parliament in Vilnius, down from 80 previously.
A coalition agreement is expected to be signed as early as this week, according to Lithuanian media reports.
