• Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas resigns following protests.
• His resignation prompted by investigations into his business dealings.
• Paluckas' departure leaves the government facing potential instability.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has resigned amid growing protests and investigations into his business dealings, as confirmed by President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday. Paluckas cited the need for political stability, stating, "I cannot allow our ruling coalition and the Cabinet to become hostages to these scandals," indicating that ongoing controversies were detrimental to governance, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Paluckas has been under scrutiny following allegations linked to business dealings with a firm owned by his sister-in-law, which led to public outcry and demands for his resignation. Criticism intensified when it was revealed that he had never paid a significant portion of a €16,500 fine from a previous scandal regarding the mismanagement of city contracts while serving as a municipal director, as detailed by South China Morning Post, Los Angeles Times, and HuffPost.

Paluckas's resignation is anticipated to lead to a shake-up in his entire cabinet, raising concerns over potential instability in the government, especially with increasing threats from neighboring Russia. President Nausėda emphasized that foreign policy should remain unaffected despite the political upheaval, providing reassurance that Lithuania's stance towards Ukraine remains firm, according to India Times and TRT Global.

Facing mounting pressure, particularly from a junior coalition party threatening to withdraw support, Paluckas made the decision to submit his resignation before impeachment proceedings could commence, underscoring the urgency of the situation as coalition talks for a new government are expected to begin soon, as detailed by Reuters and AA.