Algirdas Butkevičius

Algirdas Butkevičius (born 19 November 1958) has been Prime Minister of Lithuania since December 2012. He was Minister of Finance from 2004 to 2005 and Minister of Transport and Communications from 2006 to 2008. He has led the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania since 2009.

Political career

Butkevičius was born at Paežeriai village in Radviliškis district municipality. Since 1992 he is member of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (SDPL). He was Chairman of Vilkaviškis Department of the SDPL in 1995–1997, Deputy Chairman of the SDPL in 1999–2005 (re-elected in 2001), and Chairman of the SDPL since 2009.

In 1996 and 2000, he was elected to the Seimas (parliament). From 2004 to 2005 he served as Minister of Finance and from 2006 to 2008 as Minister of Transport and Communications.

Butkevičius was the SDPL candidate in the 2009 presidential election, placing second with 11.83% of the votes. As of 2010, he is the chairman of the SDPL.

During the 2012 parliamentary election, Butkevičius was among the few candidates who were elected in the first round of the popular vote.