Lithuanian Social Democrats expel right-populist "Dawn over the Nemunas" from coalition

Remigijus Žemaitaitis. Photo: AP Photo / Mindaugas Kulbis

On Saturday, meetings of the presidium and council of the LSDP took place in Vilnius. The main topic was the possible change in the configuration of the ruling coalition and other changes in the government.

Not only political opponents, but also a part of the social democrats themselves, from the very beginning of the alliance, questioned whether the party should remain in a coalition with "Dawn over the Nemunas," led by Remigijus Žemaitaitis. This week, Sinkevičius stated that he was considering three scenarios, which he intended to present to the party council.

According to unofficial information, these could include not only the replacement of ministers but also the replacement of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė. However, it is unknown exactly when such changes could occur, as summer and the end of the parliamentary session are considered not the most suitable time for personnel reshuffles.

When asked about a possible new prime minister, Sinkevičius briefly replied: "Definitely not." Honorary party chairwoman Vilija Blinkevičiūtė only stated that the party "is ready for anything." She did not answer a clarifying question about a new prime minister.

After the 2024 parliamentary elections, the Social Democrats formed a ruling coalition with "Dawn over the Nemunas" and the "For the Name of Lithuania" Union of Democrats. However, in the autumn, the Democrats in the coalition were replaced by the parliamentary faction of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and Christian Families. The coalition now holds 80 seats in the Seimas.

The right-populist "Dawn over the Nemunas" party was founded by Remigijus Žemaitaitis in November 2023. In the last parliamentary elections, it achieved great success, gaining about 15% of the voters' votes and bringing 19 deputies out of 141 into the Seimas. This was the third-best result among all political forces, and the Social Democrats, who won the elections, were forced to invite the party into the government coalition.

Žemaitaitis has previously been involved in numerous scandals related to his statements, which were interpreted as antisemitic, and he also made vague statements regarding Russia's annexation of Crimea. In an interview taken last year shortly before the elections, he spoke positively about the prospects of restoring economic cooperation with Belarus.

Recently, there have often been protests in Lithuania against "Dawn over the Nemunas" in the government and, in particular, against their appointment to a position in the Ministry of Culture.

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