Lithuanian PM Gintautas Paluckas Resigns Amid Corruption Probes; Triggers Government Collapse

Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has resigned amid deepening corruption investigations tied to his past business dealings. This has set off a government collapse and fresh coalition negotiations in the NATO member state. His departure was confirmed Thursday by President Gitanas Nausėda, who addressed the media early in the day.

Paluckas’s resignation follows weeks of mounting political pressure, media scrutiny, and street protests in Vilnius. Demonstrators had been demanding his removal since reports surfaced that he had failed to pay a €16,500 ($19,000) court-imposed fine stemming from a 2012 corruption case.

Image Source: DemocraticAxe

The scandal, which dates back over a decade, involves Paluckas’s time as Vilnius’s municipal administration director. He was convicted of manipulating the bidding process for city pest control contracts -- specifically, rat extermination services -- by favoring the highest bidder in violation of procurement rules. Though sentenced to two years in prison, he never served time.

In a statement issued by his Social Democrat Party, Paluckas denied wrongdoing and claimed that the renewed focus on his past was part of a “coordinated political attack.” Nevertheless, anti-corruption agencies in Lithuania have launched parallel probes into his financial affairs and previous government roles.

His exit is expected to dissolve the current three-party ruling coalition, formed just last year after parliamentary elections. The entire cabinet is likely to resign, prompting fresh coalition talks that could reshape Lithuania’s political direction.

Paluckas’s downfall comes at a delicate time for the Baltic state. Lithuania has been a vocal critic of Russian and Belarusian aggression in the region. Just weeks from now, Russia and Belarus are scheduled to conduct joint military drills near Lithuania’s borders -- a point of heightened concern in Vilnius.

In May, Lithuania filed a case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Belarus of orchestrating waves of “illegal migration” into its territory -- a charge Minsk denies. These tensions have reinforced Lithuania’s urgency for political stability, particularly as a frontline NATO country sharing borders with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.

President Nausėda, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, has emphasized Lithuania’s role in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. He is now expected to begin consultations to form a new coalition and appoint an interim government.