Former labor union leader elected as Lithuania's new prime minister after predecessor quit

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday elected a former labor union leader and relative political newcomer as the country's new prime minister, weeks after her predecessor resigned following investigations into his business dealings.

Lawmakers approved Inga Ruginienė, 44, as the new head of government by 78 votes to 35.

Ruginienė, a former head of Lithuania’s labor union confederation, joined the center-left Social Democratic Party just before a general election last year and then served as minister for social affairs and labor under Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, who resigned at the end of July after less than a year in office.

Paluckas had been dogged by media investigations into his business and financial dealings. Several media outlets published investigations in July regarding his past and present ventures and alleged mishandlings, including ones more than a decade ago. Anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies in the country subsequently launched their own inquiries.

President Gitanas Nausėda, who nominated Ruginienė as the new prime minister, told parliament before Tuesday's vote that she is “a constructive negotiator who seeks compromise.”

Ruginienė told lawmakers she will focus on “restoring stability" and will work to “ensure that the government carries out the work entrusted to it by the voters.”

The Social Democrats on Monday signed an agreement on a new center-left coalition with two junior partners, one of which is new to the government. It has a solid majority in the parliament, or Seimas, with 82 of the 141 seats.

Ruginienė must still be formally appointed by the president and sworn in at a ceremony in parliament, but those are formalities. Her government should serve out the remainder of the four-year term that started with last fall's election.

Lithuanian foreign policy is unlikely to change because of the government shakeup. Nausėda, who was elected separately, is the country’s face on the world stage and has been one of the most stalwart supporters of Ukraine’s fight against invading Russian forces — a position that has broad political support in the Baltic nation of about 2.8 million people.

The European Union and NATO member sits on the Western alliance's eastern flank. It has borders with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and with Russia-allied Belarus.