Ingrida Šimonytė

Ingrida Šimonytė (born 15 November 1974) is a Lithuanian politician, public servant and economist who is serving as the 17th and current prime minister of Lithuania since 2020.

Šimonytė was born 15 November 1974 in Vilnius to a father who worked as a civil engineer, and a mother, Danutė Šimonienė, who worked as an economist.

She moved to the Antakalnis district of Vilnius with her parents in 1984, where she spent most of her childhood and formative years.

In 1992, Šimonytė graduated from the Vilnius Žirmūnai Gymnasium, where she was recognised and awarded for her academic skills in mathematics.

Born in Vilnius, Šimonytė graduated from Vilnius University with a degree in business in 1996, later receiving a master's degree in 1998.

After graduating, she enrolled in the Faculty of Economics at Vilnius University, graduating with a degree in business administration in 1996.

In 1997, Šimonytė first began working professionally as an economist and public servant, after being hired at the Ministry of Finance within its tax division.

She subsequently returned to the institution, and received a master's degree in economics in 1998.

Between 1998 and 2001, Šimonytė worked as an economist in the ministry's tax and sales division, and later was promoted to head of the ministry's direct taxation division, a position she remained in until 2004, when she became chancellor of the ministry, and later deputy finance minister.

She began her career as an economist and public servant, working as chief of the tax division within the Ministry of Finance until 2004.

She remained in the tax division until being nominated to serve as finance minister in 2009, tasked with stimulating the Lithuanian economy in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

She resigned from this position in 2009, to take office as finance minister.

In 2009, Šimonytė was nominated to serve as finance minister in the second cabinet of prime minister Andrius Kubilius, replacing Algirdas Šemeta who had stepped down to become European Commissioner for Budget and Administration.

Following her nomination, she was appointed by President Valdas Adamkus to serve in the office.

Upon taking office, Šimonytė was tasked with recovering the Lithuanian economy in the aftermath of the Great Recession, with Lithuania's gross domestic product (GDP) having dipped 14.7% in 2009.

While in the position, Šimonytė became one of the faces of the austerity drive implemented by the government in order to improve the Lithuanian economy.

She resigned from the position in 2012, and was appointed deputy chairperson of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, and chairperson of Vilnius University Council, a professor of economics at the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science, and of public finance at ISM University of Management and Economics.

Šimonytė stepped down from her position as finance minister after the 2012 parliamentary election, where the incumbent government suffered defeat at the hands of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party and the incoming government of Algirdas Butkevičius.

In 2015, Šimonytė planned her return to politics after confirming her intention to stand as a candidate in the 2016 parliamentary election, aiming to represent the Antakalnis constituency within Vilnius.

The seat had been held by former prime minister Andrius Kubilius, who opted not to run for reelection in the constituency.

Considered to be a safe seat for the Homeland Union, Šimonytė ran as an independent candidate, but received electoral assistance from the Homeland Union.

In the election, Šimonytė was one of only three constituency candidates nationwide to win their elections without having to advance to a second round run-off election, having won 51.54% of the electorate within her constituency in the first round.

Following her win, she took her seat in the Seimas.

After her election to the Seimas, Šimonytė joined the parliamentary group of the Homeland Union, despite being officially an independent politician.

She was appointed to serve as the chairperson of the audit committee, while also serving on the European affairs committee.

She has been a Member of the Seimas for the Antakalnis constituency since 2016 and was Minister of Finance in the second Kubilius cabinet from 2009 until 2012.

Šimonytė returned to politics in 2016, when she ran as an independent candidate in the 2016 parliamentary election to represent Antakalnis constituency in Vilnius, ultimately winning a seat in parliament.

Following her resignation, Šimonytė was appointed to serve as deputy chairperson of the board of the Bank of Lithuania, a role she remained in until 2016, while also becoming a lecturer of economics at the Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science, and of public finance at ISM University of Management and Economics.

In 2018, Šimonytė announced her campaign in the 2019 presidential election; she won the nomination of the Homeland Union.

In 2018, Šimonytė announced her campaign for president of Lithuania in the 2019 presidential election.

Standing as an independent candidate, Šimonytė sought the nomination of the Homeland Union political party, facing only Vygaudas Ušackas for the nomination.

She ultimately won the nomination, receiving 79% of the vote.

Going into the election as the Homeland Union candidate, Šimonytė was one of the favourites to win, continuously polling in a near-deadlocked tie for first with independent candidate Gitanas Nausėda.

Šimonytė was a candidate in the 2019 presidential election, but lost in the second round runoff to Gitanas Nausėda.

She has been a member of Homeland Union since 2022, having previously been an independent politician.

She narrowly won the first round of the election on 12 May 2019, before placing second behind fellow independent Gitanas Nausėda in the runoff on 26 May.

The first round of the election was held on 12 May 2019, where Šimonytė narrowly placed first with 31.53% of the vote, ahead of Nausėda's 31.16%.

She was reelected to Parliament in the 2020 parliamentary election, where the Homeland Union won a plurality of seats.

Following the certification of the election results, Šimonytė was proposed as the prime ministerial candidate by a coalition consisting of the Homeland Union, Liberal Movement and Freedom Party; she took office on 11 December, along with the appointment of her cabinet.

In October 2023, Šimonytė announced that she would once again run for president in the 2024 presidential election.