VILNIUS — Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė and her cabinet stepped down on Tuesday following changes to the country's ruling coalition. The center-left Social Democrats ended their coalition agreement with the Nemuno Aušra party earlier this month.

Ruginienė's resignation decree will be submitted to President Gitanas Nausėda, who is expected to ask the outgoing administration to continue serving in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. The president has 15 days to submit a candidate for prime minister to parliament.

The Social Democrats struck a deal with two other center-left parties to form a new coalition that controls 75 seats in the 141-member parliament, the Seimas. Social Democratic Party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius is expected to be nominated for prime minister. Under the agreement, at least four ministerial posts will change hands. If the Seimas approves the prime minister-designate, that individual will have up to two weeks to present a new government and its program for parliamentary approval, Ruginienė said in a podcast interview.

The coalition agreement indicates a willingness to seek more stable relations with Beijing. The new coalition partners said they support restoring diplomatic dialogue and expanding economic cooperation where it serves Lithuania's interests. They also stated they would maintain Lithuania's commitments to the European Union, NATO, and its strategic partnership with Taiwan.

Inga Ruginienė reflected on her tenure, stating, "Despite all the difficulties, we have much to be proud of, and each of you has made a contribution to the welfare of our state and the improving lives of its people." The Nemuno Aušra party's former leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, faces allegations of antisemitic rhetoric. A Lithuanian court fined Žemaitaitis 5,000 euros last year after finding he incited hatred against Jews, downplayed Nazi Germany's crimes, and minimized the Holocaust in social media posts and public statements from May and June 2023. Žemaitaitis has pleaded not guilty, and the case is currently with the appeals court. Prosecutors are asking for a stricter sentence in the case.