RigacTypeface:> Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda nominated Gintautas Paluckas as prime minister of the Baltic EU and NATO country on Tuesday and tasked him with forming a government.
The 45-year-old is deputy leader of the Social Democrats, who emerged as the strongest force in the two rounds of parliamentary elections on October 13 and 27 and now want to form a centre-left coalition.
The planned controversial three-way alliance together holds 86 of the 141 seats in parliament in Vilnius, which is scheduled to vote on Paluckas’ candidacy on Thursday.
The Social Democrats had actually entered the election with party leader Vilija Blinkeviciute as their top candidate. However, after the clear election victory, the 64-year-old MEP made a U-turn, citing her age and health, and proposed Paluckas for the post of head of government. (DPA)