Šimonytė does not reveal if she may serve as PM in new Government

The Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) intends to initiate early parliamentary elections amid the scandal over municipal expenses. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė vowed to resign if parliament rejects the idea of a snap election, but TS-LKD leader Gabrielius Landsbergis has mentioned that “a new old” prime minister could lead the new Government. However, Šimonytė refuses to speculate if she may hold the PM’s position in the new Government.

“Why analyse hypothetical scenarios? As long as I hold these duties I am not carrying them out under an interim status. Various options are possible and it seems to me that there is no point in even discussing this matter at the moment,” Šimonytė told reporters Thursday.

Although Šimonytė earlier vowed to resign if parliament does not call a snap election, yet at the same time she says new elections may be initiated in other ways, for example, if parliament expresses distrust in the Cabinet of Ministers. The procedure has been launched already by the political group of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS).