Incomprehensible That It's Still Unclear Who Will Be Prime Minister: Čmilytė-Nielsen Criticizes Social Democrats

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, the leader of the Liberal Movement, has sharply criticized the Lithuanian Social Democrats (LSDP) for the prolonged and unclear process of selecting a prime minister. She described the situation as "politically incomprehensible," emphasizing that typically, the identity of the prime minister is a central question when forming a coalition.

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The process is strange from at least one angle – usually, when a coalition is being formed, one of the main or perhaps the main question is (...) who will lead, who will be the leader, who will be the prime minister.

Čmilytė-Nielsen speculated that the Social Democrats' hesitation, particularly from party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius, might stem from a reluctance to commit to leading a government without a clear majority. She suggested that the expulsion of the "Dawn of Nemunas" faction and the ongoing negotiations with the Democrats "For Lithuania" create uncertainty. If these talks falter, the LSDP might be forced to govern in a minority, a prospect Sinkevičius may be trying to avoid, potentially leaving the door open for current Prime Minister Ingrida Rugienė to continue in a caretaker role.

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A politically incomprehensible situation when political forces are negotiating, and that main position, which is essentially the face, the leader of the coalition, is like in the fog. Because that's what we're hearing now – that it's not decided yet.

The Liberal leader argued that Sinkevičius's indecision weakens the LSDP's negotiating position with the Democrats. She believes that a clear declaration of leadership, even with the possibility of a minority government, would have strengthened their stance and reduced internal discussions about ministerial portfolios.

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I can explain that delay by the fact that the Social Democrats are perhaps still worried that "Dawn of Nemunas" has been bid farewell to, and they may not be able to agree with the Democrats. And then, like it or not, they would have to work in a minority government.

Furthermore, Čmilytė-Nielsen observed a lack of appreciation within the LSDP for Prime Minister Rugienė, who took on the role under challenging circumstances. She suggested that Rugienė may have been "politically burned" by the party, with little acknowledgment of her contributions as she is likely to be replaced.

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It seems to me that this undermines the Social Democrats' negotiating positions. If from the very beginning it had been said by M. Sinkevičius's lips that here the Social Democrats are expelling "Dawn of Nemunas" and are so confident in themselves that they can work in a minority government if necessary, and he himself takes the lead, regardless of whether they manage to negotiate with the Democrats or not.