Lithuanian PM resigns following coalition threat and ethics probe

Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas on Thursday announced his resignation as the country's head of government and chairman of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party.

"I informed the president ... that I took the decision to resign from my duties as the prime minister," Paluckas said in a statement.

The resignation comes ahead of a planned vote by the party's executive board and follows a warning from Saulius Skvernelis, speaker of Lithuania's parliament, the Seimas, and leader of the Democratic Union "For Lithuania," who threatened to withdraw his party from the coalition government if Paluckas remained in office.

Under the Constitution of Lithuania, the entire cabinet will resign along with the prime minister.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday welcomed Paluckas' resignation, describing the decision as "the only right choice."

Paluckas' departure from office comes amid investigations into his financial dealings and allegedly inappropriate involvement in business, ties to certain business people and failure to pay damages owed to the Vilnius municipality.

Paluckas has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the criticism was a "coordinated attack" by political opponents.