According to the prime minister, he will meet on Tuesday with Inga Ruginienė, the Minister for Social Security and Labour, who will present the so-called Family Package due to be tabled during the autumn session.
„The minister has said that it is an ambitious package; I hope I won’t be disappointed. (…) Family policy will be one of the priorities of this coalition – increased funding for families, starting not only with those wishing to have children but also with first-time buyers, (…) I believe the whole package will be a priority not only for 2027 but also for the remainder of the term of office“, – Sinkevičius told journalists on Monday following a meeting with coalition partners.
He also reiterated that, once next year’s state budget is approved, Lithuania will remain among the countries allocating at least 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to national defence.
Aurelijus Veryga, leader of the Peasant Party, emphasised that this sum must cover not only the military’s readiness but also preparations for total defence, border protection and the operations of the internal affairs system.
According to the politician, family policy remains one of the ruling coalition’s priorities; he stated that the country must ensure sufficient income for families following the birth of a child and provide support for first-time homebuyers.
„If there are no people in Lithuania, then there will be no need for defence either, because there will be nothing to defend; if there are no children, if it is not possible to maintain a sustainable social system, (…) everything else loses all meaning,“ he told journalists.
„The debate is about how to get society to agree that this (the birth rate – ELTA) is a problem, because politicians, no matter how hard they try, will not be able to produce enough children to meet the need. This is a contract with the public, as I believe we have agreed with the vast majority of the public regarding defence, (…) I hope that during this term of office we will at least manage to lay certain foundations for reaching an agreement with the public (on demographics – ELTA),“ the politician asserted.
According to Veryga, next year’s budget must also include pay rises for healthcare workers and civil servants.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, Chairman of the Democratic Union Vardan Lietuvos (In the Name of Lithuania), along with his coalition partners, emphasised that defence funding must remain above 5 per cent of the country’s GDP next year. However, he added that the greatest threat to the state at present is demographic problems.
„We agree that we must remain within the 5 per cent of GDP bracket, and I have no doubt that this will remain the case. I am truly pleased that this government has made such a significant leap; whilst previous governments struggled even to reach 3 per cent of GDP, we are now at over 5 per cent of GDP. Let's maintain this,“ Sinkevičius told journalists.
„Defence undoubtedly remains a priority, but we must not forget social policy and, in particular, family policy, as demographics are the biggest problem facing the country today. (...) There will always be many challenges facing the country, and we cannot say which is the top priority and which is the second. That said, today, when we are talking about the survival of our country, I believe that demographics are the greatest challenge,“ emphasised the MEP.
Minister Ruginienė has stated that the Family Package is due to be presented to the public in early autumn.
One of the areas under consideration in the package is a more flexible system of parental leave and higher benefits, improved access to housing, and support for families in addressing issues related to children’s activities.
According to Ruginienė, although the final content of the Family Package has not yet been approved, the funds required for its implementation will need to be assessed when drawing up next year’s state budget.
As reported by ELTA, addressing demographic challenges and promoting the birth rate are among the top priorities of Mindaugas Sinkevičius’s Government.