“Incorrect assessment if it is assumed that the main criterion was loyalty. No, I categorically disagree with that. The people who joined this 21st Government were chosen not from just one, considering both competence and experience,” said the Prime Minister on Tuesday in the LRT show “Dienos tema.”
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“And, of course, that partisanship. It is probably logical that when the Social Democrats win the elections, not absolutely, the representation of the Government in the parliament must be Social Democrats, not invited professionals from outside. I think that all the ministers I chose, not only the Minister of Finance, are competent and will definitely be able to defend the state’s interest and implement the Government’s program,” said M. Sinkevičius.
As BNS wrote, on Tuesday the Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius’s Cabinet took the oath in the Seimas.
After the oath, the new Minister of the Interior Martynas Katelynas, Minister of Environment Ieva Andriulaitytė, Minister of Culture Lukas Alsys, former Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė returning to lead the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, and Taurimas Valys heading the Ministry of Finance will start work in the Cabinet.
The latter was criticized by both the opposition and part of the ruling party, claiming that he came to the position insufficiently prepared and was unable to answer fundamental questions about the state’s finances.
In turn, the Prime Minister assured that the new Minister of Finance will not be worse than his predecessors.
“Conjunctural changes have occurred. The coalition has changed, the Government has changed, the head of the Government has changed. Naturally, every head of Government chooses his own team. We have already had three Ministers of Finance during this term mandate and I have no doubt that the third will certainly not be worse than the first two,” said M. Sinkevičius.
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T. Valys replaced Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, who held the position of Minister of Finance.
Also, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys, Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas, Minister of Transport Juras Taminskas, Minister of Education, Science and Sports Raminta Popovienė, Minister of Justice Rita Tamašunienė, and Minister of Economy and Innovation Edvinas Grikšas will continue their work in the Cabinet.
Democratic ministers Linas Kukuraitis, Kęstutis Mažeika, and Lukas Savickas will respectively serve as heads of the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Energy.
Among other things, the Prime Minister emphasized that he tasked all ministers to identify and implement the first tasks as soon as possible, which would be visible to the public.
“I want to demonstrate that content as soon as possible in various ministries, in various political fields. I asked the ministers to think about those first tasks that will be served to the state and society, will be visible and probably will already form some content, not just conversations, which, I would say, are still very superficial for now,” he said.
“We are ready to get to work and show results. That is what I will demand from all ministers. Of course, I will not threaten anyone, but I will be a demanding person. I have always been a demanding person, probably brought from my previous work. Conversations, processes, and all meetings are very good, but the result is much more important to me than the process,” added M. Sinkevičius.
BNS wrote that the new Government is being formed after the ruling coalition reshuffle. The current majority from the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Democrats “For Lithuania,” and the Lithuanian Farmers, Greens and Christian Democrats factions has 75 votes in the Seimas.
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