Prime Minister of Lithuania

The prime minister of Lithuania (, , colloquially also referred to as the premier ) is the head of government of Lithuania. The prime minister is appointed by the president with the assent of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas. The modern office of prime minister was established in 1990, when Lithuania declared its independence, although the official title was "Chairperson of the Council of Ministers" until 25 November 1992.

Historically, the title of prime minister was also used between 1918 and 1940. This was during the original Republic of Lithuania, which lasted from the collapse of the Russian Empire until the country's annexation by the Soviet Union.

List

Lithuanian Provisional Governing Commission (1812)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2 |

! rowspan=2 | Portrait

! rowspan=2 | Name (born–died)

! colspan=3 | Term of office

! rowspan="2" | Political party

! rowspan=2 | Government

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

| 1

| 80px

| Józef Sierakowski

(1765–1831)

Acting

| 1 July 1812

| 18 July 1812

| 17 days

| Independent

| Sierakowski

| 2

| 80px

| Stanisław Sołtan

(1756–1836)

1st time

| 18 July 1812

| 24 August 1812

| 36 days

| Independent

| Sołtan I

| 3

| 80px

| Dirk van Hogendorp

(1761–1822)

| 24 August 1812

| 29 September 1812

| 36 days

| Independent

| Hogendorp

| 4

| 80px

| Stanisław Sołtan

(1756–1836)

2nd time

| 29 September 1812

| 14 December 1812 (de facto)

July 1813 (de jure)

| 76 days (de facto)

10 months (de jure)

| Independent

| Sołtan II

Republic of Lithuania (1918–1940)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! rowspan=2 |

! rowspan=2 | Portrait

! rowspan=2 | Name (born–died)

! colspan=3 | Term of office

! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party

! rowspan=2 | Government

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

| 1

| 80px

| Augustinas Voldemaras 1st time

| 11 November 1918

| 26 December 1918

! style="background:;" |

| Party of National Progress

| Voldemaras I

| 2

| 80px

| Mykolas Sleževičius 1st time

| 26 December 1918

| 5 March 1919

! style="background:;" |

| Peasant Union

| Sleževičius I

| 3

| 80px

| Pranas Dovydaitis

| 13 March 1919

| 12 April 1919

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party

| Dovydaitis

| 80px

| Mykolas Sleževičius 2nd time

| 12 April 1919

| 2 October 1919

! style="background:;" |

| Peasant Union

| Sleževičius II

| 4

| 80px

| Ernestas Galvanauskas 1st time

| 7 October 1919

| 15 June 1920

! style="background:;" |

| Independent

| Galvanauskas I

| 5

| 80px

| Kazys Grinius

| 19 June 1920

| 18 January 1922

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union

| Grinius

| 80px

| Ernestas Galvanauskas 2nd time

| 2 February 1922

| 17 June 1924

! style="background:;" |

| Independent

| Galvanauskas II–III–IV

| 6

| 80px

| Antanas Tumėnas

| 18 June 1924

| 27 January 1925

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party

| Tumėnas

| 7

| 80px

| Vytautas Petrulis

| 4 February 1925

| 19 September 1925

! style="background:;" |

| Farmers' Association

| Petrulis

| 8

| 80px

| Leonas Bistras

| 25 September 1925

| 31 May 1926

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party

| Bistras

| 80px

| Mykolas Sleževičius 3rd time

| 15 June 1926

| 17 December 1926

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union

| Sleževičius III

| 80px

| Augustinas Voldemaras 2nd time

| 17 December 1926

| 19 September 1929

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Nationalist Union

| Voldemaras II

| 9

| 80px

| Juozas Tūbelis

| 23 September 1929

| 24 March 1938

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Nationalist Union

| Tūbelis I–II–III

| 10

| 80px

| Vladas Mironas

| 24 March 1938

| 28 March 1939

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Nationalist Union

| Mironas I–II

| 11

| 80px

| Jonas Černius

| 28 March 1939

| 21 November 1939

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Nationalist Union

| Černius

| 12

| 80px

| Antanas Merkys

| 21 November 1939

| 15 June 1940

! style="background:;" |

| Lithuanian Nationalist Union

| Merkys

Following the ultimatum in June 1940, the forces of Soviet Union entered Lithuania, prompting President Antanas Smetona to flee the country. Antanas Merkys, who assumed the position of acting president in accordance with the constitution, soon announced he had taken over the Presidency on a permanent basis and appointed Justas Paleckis, favored by the Soviet authorities, as the Prime Minister ahead of the "people's government". Merkys soon resigned, allowing Paleckis to assume the post of acting president as well. The presidency of Merkys is not recognized as legitimate in modern Lithuania and Paleckis is not listed as an interwar Prime Minister in government sources.