Kirkilas Cabinet
Kirkilas Cabinet was the 14th cabinet of Lithuania since 1990. It consisted of the Prime Minister and 13 government ministers from the Social Democratic Party, Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union, Civic Democratic Party, and the Liberal and Centre Union. The minority government survived due to confidence and supply from the Homeland Union. The New Union (Social Liberals) joined the coalition in 2008, making it a majority government..
History
Formation
Algirdas Brazauskas resigned as the Prime Minister of the 13th government on 1 June 2006. After this event, the Homeland Union, the Liberal Movement and the New Union (Social Liberals) tried to form a ruling coalition on their own, but the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union also tried to form a government at the same time. The attempt by the latter two parties was successful and the new coalition also included the Civic Democratic Party and the Liberal and Centre Union.After the interim Prime Minister, Zigmantas Balčytis failed to gather sufficient level of support in the parliament, the President Valdas Adamkus appointed Gediminas Kirkilas of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania Prime Minister on 6 July 2006. Although the possibility of snap elections to the Seimas in 2007 was raised by spring and summer of 2006, the 14th cabinet received its mandate and started work on 18 July 2006 after the Seimas gave assent to its program.
Minority and majority governments
The government served as a minority government from July 2006 to January 2008. The confidence and supply agreement between the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and the Homeland Union had fixed terms of six months, which could be extended for six months at a time. By the end of 2007, Homeland Union withdrew its support for the minority government and the search for new partnerships with other parties began. In January 2008, the coalition became a majority government when the New Union (Social Liberals) joined after weeks of negotiations, although the party had already agreed to support the minority government in April 2007.The government continued to serve until the end of the term of the Ninth Seimas, returning its mandate on 17 November 2008, soon after the elections to the Seimas in October. The government continued to serve in an acting capacity until the Second Kubilius Cabinet started its work on 9 December 2008.