Gintautas Paluckas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gintautas Paluckas
Paluckas in 2023
18th Prime Minister of Lithuania
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 December 2024
President	Gitanas Nausėda
Preceded by	Ingrida Šimonytė
Chairman of the Social Democratic Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 May 2025
Preceded by	Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
In office 6 May 2017 – 22 January 2021
Preceded by	Algirdas Butkevičius
Succeeded by	Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
Member of the Seimas
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 November 2020
Constituency	Multi-member
Deputy Mayor of Vilnius
In office 22 April 2015 – 24 April 2019
Mayor	Remigijus Šimašius
Preceded by	Jonas Pinskus
Succeeded by	Vytautas Mitalas
Personal details
Born	(1979-08-19) 19 August 1979 (age 46) Panevėžys, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union
Political party	Social Democratic (2003–present)
Spouse	Ilma Paluckė
Children	2
Education	Juozas Balčikonis Gymnasium
Alma mater	Vilnius University

Gintautas Paluckas (born 19 August 1979) is a Lithuanian politician. He became the 18th Prime Minister of Lithuania in December 2024. Before this, he was the Deputy Mayor of Vilnius from 2015 to 2019. He also led the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) from 2017 to 2021. Since the 2020 election, he has been a member of the Seimas, which is Lithuania's parliament. In May 2025, Paluckas became the leader of the LSDP again. This happened after Vilija Blinkevičiūtė decided not to run for another term.

In the 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election, Paluckas ran in a specific area called Utena. He finished third there. However, his party, the LSDP, won the election overall. Paluckas got a seat in the Seimas because of his place on the party's list. After the election, he was chosen and confirmed as the Prime Minister of Lithuania. When the Dawn of Nemunas party joined the government, some people protested.

Early Life and School

Gintautas Paluckas was born on 19 August 1979 in Panevėžys. His father was an engineer, and his mother was an economist. In 1997, Paluckas finished school at Panevėžys J. Balčikonis Gymnasium. He studied English in London from 2000 to 2001. In 2003, he graduated from the Vilnius University with a degree in Mathematics and Informatics. He also studied at the International Business School in 2004. Later that year, he began studying law at Vilnius University.

Political Journey

When he was younger, Paluckas was briefly part of the Young Conservative League. This was the youth group of the Homeland Union party. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP).

From 2003 to 2005, he worked as a Chief Specialist at the Lithuanian State Social Insurance Fund Board (Sodra). In 2005, he became an assistant to European Parliament member Justas Paleckis. From 2007 to 2009, he was the Director of Administration for the Vilnius city municipality.

Starting in 2013, Paluckas was the Executive Secretary of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party. He was also a member of the LSDP Council and Board.

From 2015 to 2019, Paluckas served as the Deputy Mayor of Vilnius. During the 2015 European migrant crisis, he suggested that the city could create Arabic-language kindergarten groups. This was to help children of refugees settling in the city.

Leading the Social Democratic Party

In 2017, Paluckas won the election to become the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. He won against Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who was the Minister of Economy at the time. During his campaign, Paluckas talked about making the party new and bringing back its social democratic values. He did not agree with the party's choice to work with the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union.

Under Paluckas's leadership, the party announced new plans. They introduced a new party program. This program supported progressive taxation, helping worker cooperatives, and protecting women's rights and LGBT rights. It also showed strong support for NATO and the European Union. At the same time, the party was against European policies that cut government spending.

After Paluckas became leader, the LSDP decided to leave the government coalition. They asked all their members to vote on this. Many LSDP members in the Seimas then left the party. They formed a new party called the Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LSDDP). These members stayed in the government coalition.

Paluckas was reelected as the party leader in 2019.

In 2019, Paluckas ran in a special election for a parliament seat in Vilnius. He lost this election. He said that not enough people voted, which led to his loss.

2020 Lithuanian Parliamentary Election

In 2020, Paluckas was elected to the Lithuanian parliament as the party leader. He finished second in the Utena area. He got a seat in the parliament through the party's national list. However, after the 2020 election, the LSDP lost some seats. They went from seventeen to thirteen. Paluckas faced criticism for the party's performance.

Resignation

On 22 January 2021, Paluckas stepped down as the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania. He did this because the party council felt that the 2020 election results were not good enough. They believed his leadership did not meet their expectations.

2024 Lithuanian Parliamentary Election

Paluckas, who was the Deputy Leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), took part in the 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election. He finished third in the Utena area. He still got a seat in the Seimas because of his position on the LSDP's list of candidates.

Prime Minister of Lithuania

Becoming Prime Minister

On 30 October 2024, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, announced she would not be the party's choice for Prime Minister. She said the party's leaders had decided to suggest Paluckas for the job.

During the election campaign, Blinkevičiūtė had shown interest in being Prime Minister if her party won. But at the press conference, she mentioned personal reasons, like her age and health, for her decision. She confirmed she would finish her term as a Member of the European Parliament, which ends in 2029.

The Social Democratic Party's leaders all agreed to nominate Paluckas. Blinkevičiūtė said Paluckas was chosen because he has a lot of experience. He worked in local government and national politics. She also noted that many people voted for Paluckas, with 60,000 Lithuanians supporting him. Official election data showed Paluckas received 58,827 first-place votes. This placed him second on the party list, after Blinkevičiūtė.

At the same event, Paluckas said he would talk with other political groups to form a government. He planned to talk with groups that Blinkevičiūtė had previously not considered, including the Dawn of Nemunas Party.

President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed he knew about Blinkevičiūtė's decision beforehand. He also knew about reasons that might stop her from being Prime Minister. Nausėda did not say what these reasons were, calling it unethical.

Paluckas announced his government team on 8 November 2024. It included the Social Democrats, the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania", and the Dawn of Nemunas party. The Social Democrats had said they would not join a government with the Dawn of Nemunas party. When the Dawn of Nemunas party joined, it caused protests outside the Seimas. This was because of past statements by their leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis. Some other parties left the parliament building when Žemaitaitis was sworn in. President Nausėda said he would stop any Dawn of Nemunas members from becoming ministers. Officials from the United States, German, and Polish governments also criticized this choice.

Different Views on the Choice

On 31 October, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said Paluckas did not have enough experience in leading a government. She noted his experience was mostly from working in the Vilnius city government. She also mentioned a past court decision against Paluckas related to his work in public office. On 30 October, the Speaker of the Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, said Blinkevičiūtė's decision was not acceptable. She felt it broke the trust built during the election campaign.

Views from the Government Team

Linas Kukuraitis, from the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania", praised Paluckas. He said Paluckas was professional and good at talking with other politicians. He also noted Paluckas's connections with non-government groups and worker unions in Lithuania. Remigijus Motuzas, from the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, also praised Paluckas. He said Paluckas had shown that even when not in power, a lot can be achieved.

On 21 November, the Seimas officially nominated Paluckas as Prime Minister. He received 88 votes in favor. These votes came from all members of the government team, plus Artūras Zuokas and Vitalijus Šeršniovas.

July 2025 Business Questions

In July 2025, questions about Paluckas's past business dealings became more public. A TV channel and an investigation group reported that he had only paid the Vilnius Municipality €16,500 on 8 July 2025. This payment was required by a court decision from 2010, over ten years ago. Another news site also reported that Paluckas and a partner bought land from a state forest between 2009 and 2014. The state broadcaster said these purchases happened under "questionable circumstances."

A government watchdog, the Financial Crime Investigation Service, started looking into a €200,000 loan given to a company partly owned by Paluckas. Another watchdog, the Special Investigation Service, began investigating Paluckas's connections to real estate and another company.

As these questions continued, three opposition parties announced on 23 July that they would call a special meeting of the Seimas. They wanted to start a process to remove Paluckas from office. Paluckas said this was a planned attack by his political opponents. He also said he would ask for a vote of no confidence in his government. This was at the request of President Nausėda, who asked Paluckas to either explain his business interests publicly or resign.

Past Court Decision

On 7 December 2010, a court in Vilnius found Paluckas responsible for issues related to his public office. He was given a two-year suspended sentence. The court said he could not leave his home for more than seven days without permission. The court found that Paluckas had issues during a public bidding process for rodent control services in Vilnius. Paluckas was ordered to pay over fifty-seven thousand litas (about €16,500) to the Vilnius city municipality.

In 2012, a higher court, the Supreme Court of Lithuania, confirmed this decision. They found Paluckas responsible for issues in a public bidding process that was not transparent.

Personal Life

Gintautas Paluckas is married to Ilma Paluckė. They have two children. In 2023, Paluckas was one of the wealthiest members of the Seimas. His family owns a walnut orchard in Turkey. They also own a piece of land in Brazil.

Besides his native Lithuanian, Paluckas speaks fluent English. He also speaks good Russian and some Spanish and Portuguese. His hobbies include fishing, playing basketball, and raising chickens and ducks. Paluckas is a member of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union.

He has also written several articles and political reviews for national newspapers.

See also

In Spanish: Gintautas Paluckas para niños