Inga Ruginienė facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Inga Ruginienė
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Ruginienė in 2025
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| 19th Prime Minister of Lithuania | |
| Assumed office 25 September 2025 |
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| President | Gitanas Nausėda |
| Preceded by | Gintautas Paluckas Rimantas Šadžius (acting) |
| Minister of Social Security and Labour | |
| In office 12 December 2024 – 25 September 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Gintautas Paluckas Rimantas Šadžius (acting) |
| Preceded by | Vytautas Šilinskas |
| Succeeded by | Jūratė Zailskienė |
| Member of the Seimas | |
| Assumed office 14 November 2024 |
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| Constituency | Multi-member |
| President of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation | |
| In office 4 May 2018 – 13 November 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Artūras Černiauskas |
| Succeeded by | Audrius Gelžinis (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Inga Raitelaitytė
24 May 1981 Trakai, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | LSDP (since 2024) |
| Spouse | Vismantas Ruginis |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Mykolas Romeris University Vilnius University |
Inga Ruginienė (born on May 24, 1981) is an important Lithuanian leader. She is a trade unionist and a politician. A trade union helps workers get fair pay and good working conditions. Since September 25, 2025, she has been the 19th Prime Minister of Lithuania. The Prime Minister is the head of the government.
Inga Ruginienė is part of the Social Democratic Party (LSDP). She has also been a Member of the Seimas (Lithuania's parliament) since 2024. Before becoming Prime Minister, she was the Minister of Social Security and Labour. This role involves looking after social welfare and jobs for people in Lithuania.
In 2024, she joined the LSDP to take part in the parliamentary elections. She was elected to the Seimas in November 2024. The next month, she became the Minister of Social Security and Labour. This was in the new LSDP government led by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas. Mr. Paluckas resigned on August 4, 2025. Two days later, the LSDP chose Inga Ruginienė to be the new Prime Minister. The Seimas confirmed her nomination on August 26.
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Inga Ruginienė's Early Life and Education
Inga Ruginienė was born in Trakai, Lithuania, on May 24, 1981. She grew up in a town called Grigiškės. During her childhood, she spent her summers in Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine. In 1999, she finished her studies at Šviesa Gymnasium in Grigiškės.
She continued her education at Vilnius University. In 2005, she earned a master's degree in public health. This means she studied how to keep communities healthy. From 2005 to 2008, she worked as a public health specialist. Later, from 2008 to 2010, she was a director for a company in the Vilnius region.
Working for Workers: Trade Union Roles
Inga Ruginienė has a strong background in helping workers. She was a leader in the Lithuanian Federation of Forest and Wood Workers' Trade Unions. She served as vice chair from 2012 to 2014 and then as chair from 2014 to 2018. In 2015, she also earned a degree in forest management.
From 2018 to 2024, she was the chair of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation. This is a big group that brings many trade unions together. She also studied labor law at Mykolas Romeris University, earning another master's degree in 2022. From 2023 to 2024, she was a vice president of the European Trade Union Confederation. This shows her dedication to workers' rights across Europe.
Entering Politics and Government Service
Inga Ruginienė decided to enter politics in 2024. She ran in the 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election. Even though she wasn't officially a party member yet, her name was on the list for the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP). She won a seat in the Seimas, which is Lithuania's parliament. After the election, in November 2024, she officially joined the LSDP.
After the Social Democrats won the election, Inga Ruginienė became the Minister of Social Security and Labour. She worked in this role from December 12, 2024, until August 4, 2025. After the government changed, she continued as an acting minister for a short time.
Work in Parliament
As a member of the Seimas, Inga Ruginienė worked on important issues. She was part of the parliamentary committee that focuses on human rights. She also helped lead a group focused on forest conservation. She was also a member of groups interested in the region of Neringa and women's topics.
On August 6, 2025, the Social Democratic Party chose Inga Ruginienė to be the Prime Minister. The parliament approved this choice on August 26. On September 25, 2025, the Seimas voted to approve a new government led by her party. This officially made her the new Prime Minister.
Inga Ruginienė's Political Views
Inga Ruginienė holds political views that are often called "left-social democratic." This means she believes the government should play a strong role in helping people and ensuring fairness in society.
Economic Ideas
Inga Ruginienė believes in strengthening the public sector. This means she thinks the government should have more control over important services and industries. For example, she supports the idea of the government buying more shares in Ignitis, a big energy company. She has also suggested that her government might increase certain taxes to help fund public services.
National Security and Defense
For Inga Ruginienė, national security is very important. She wants to continue plans to increase how much Lithuania spends on defense. This is to make sure the country is safe. She has also mentioned that military service for everyone might be needed in Lithuania.
International Relations
Inga Ruginienė strongly supports Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War. She believes Lithuania should help Ukraine. She has also discussed how Lithuania might help maintain peace in the region.
Regarding China, she sees it as a challenge. She believes Lithuania's approach to China should be similar to the rest of the European Union. She wants to improve diplomatic relations with China, but not necessarily become "friendly" with them. This is because China changed its relationship with Lithuania after a Taiwanese office opened in Vilnius in 2021.
Views on Immigration
Inga Ruginienė has spoken about immigration. She believes that migration needs to be managed carefully for security reasons. She also thinks Lithuania should try to attract skilled workers who can help the country's economy. Making sure new people fit into society, called integration, is also a priority for her.
Inga Ruginienė's Personal Life
Inga Ruginienė is married to Vismantas Ruginis, who is a businessman. She has two children. Her mother, Diana Raitelaitienė, is also a leader in a trade union for forest and wood workers. Some of her distant relatives live in Moscow, but she has said she does not have much contact with them.
Inga Ruginienė has a history of helping others. From 2004 to 2016, she was a first-aid instructor and volunteer for the Lithuanian Red Cross Society. She also served on its board from 2016 to 2019. From 2021 to 2023, she was a member of the council for the Kaunas Forestry and Environmental Engineering College.
She can speak Lithuanian, English, and Russian very well. Some people have noticed she speaks Lithuanian with a slight Russian accent. She explains this is because she grew up in a neighborhood in Vilnius where many languages were spoken. She also spent a lot of time as a child in a part of Ukraine where Russian is commonly spoken.
Inga Ruginienė enjoys reading detective novels. One of her favorite books is The Little Prince. Her hobbies include travel and painting.
See also
In Spanish: Inga Ruginienė para niños
