Dovilė Šakalienė

Dovilė Šakalienė was born on 1978-06-01 in Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR (now Lithuania).

„Birth Date: 1978-06-01 (YYYY-MM-DD) Birth Place: Kaunas, Lithuania“

She graduated with honors from the Panevėžys Fifth Secondary School in 1996.

„Si è diplomata con lode alla 5ª scuola superiore di Panevėžys nel 1996“

While in secondary school, Šakalienė spent an exchange semester in 1994–1995 at Cibola High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, via the Open Lithuania Fund program.

„ha frequentato un semestre all'estero tra il 1994 e il 1995 presso la Cibola High School ad Albuquerque, Nuovo Messico, con un programma di scambio dell'Atviros Lietuvos Fondas“

In 2001, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Faculty of Philosophy of Vilnius University.

„Nel 2001 si è laureata in psicologia presso la Facoltà di Filosofia dell’Università di Vilnius“

Šakalienė obtained a master’s degree in Legal Psychology from Mykolas Romeris University in 2003.

„nel 2003 ha conseguito un master in psicologia giuridica presso l’Università Mykolas Romeris“

In 2021, she began postgraduate studies in Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy at the Neuroscience Institute of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, though these studies were suspended in 2023.

„Since 2021 | Postgraduate Studies in Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (suspended in 2023) )“

After completing her master’s, she lectured at Mykolas Romeris University on topics such as antisocial behavior psychology and criminal psychology.

„presso quest'ultimo ateneo ha insegnato psicologia del comportamento antisociale e psicologia criminale“

From 2004 to 2015, Dovilė Šakalienė worked at the Human Rights Monitoring Institute (Žmogaus teisių stebėjimo institutas), a non-governmental organization focused on monitoring human rights in Lithuania.

„Tra il 2004 e il 2015 ha lavorato presso lo Žmogaus teisių stebėjimo institutas (ŽTSI), un'organizzazione non governativa per il monitoraggio dei diritti umani in Lituania.“

Between 2011 and 2015, she was a contributor to programs on the Lithuanian radio station Žinių Radijas.

„Tra il 2011 e il 2015 è stata autrice per alcuni programmi di Žinių Radijas“

From 2012 to 2016, Šakalienė was an accredited journalist to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

„tra il 2012 e il 2016 è stata giornalista accreditata presso il Consiglio d'Europa a Strasburgo“

She was a founding member of several advocacy coalitions – including the “Už vaiko teises” (For Children’s Rights) coalition, the National Human Rights Coalition, and the “Psichikos sveikata 2030” (Mental Health 2030) coalition – and for many years she actively worked to shift child welfare in Lithuania from institutional care to family- and community-based services.

„Neformalios koalicijos „Už vaiko teises“, Nacionalinės žmogaus teisių koalicijos, koalicijos „Psichikos sveikata 2030“ steigėjų iniciatyvinės grupės narė. Daugelį metų aktyviai dirbo inicijuojant perėjimą nuo institucinės globos prie paslaugų šeimoje bei bendruomenėje.“

In 2010, Šakalienė initiated a review of the European Economic Area (EEA) Grants mechanism for supporting civil society in Lithuania, and as a result of her appeal the Norwegian Parliament decided to separate NGO funding from state-controlled funds in that program.

„2010 m. inicijavo Europos ekonominės erdvės finansinio mechanizmo paramos pilietinei visuomenei mechanizmo peržiūrą. Norvegijos parlamentas kandidatės kreipimosi pagrindu atskyrė NVO fondus nuo valstybinių.“

During 2011–2012, at the invitation of the Norwegian Government, she helped design the civil society support program for the second funding period of the EEA Grants, and she led the implementation of this program from 2013 to 2016.

„2011–2012 m. Norvegijos Vyriausybės kvietimu parengė EEA Grants antrojo finansinio periodo pilietinės visuomenės paramos programą, 2013–2016 vadovavo jos įgyvendinimui.“

Until June 2016, Šakalienė simultaneously worked as a columnist for the news portal Delfi Lietuva, as a radio show host and author on Žinių radijas (with programs like "Kas graužia tėvus" and "Nepaprastos istorijos"), and as a strategist and public policy consultant at the communications firm Big Idea Group Lietuva.

„Iki 2016 m. birželio mėn. UAB „Delfi Lietuva“, apžvalgininkė; UAB „Žinių radijas“, laidų vedėja, laidų „Kas graužia tėvus“, „Nepaprastos istorijos“ autorė; AB „Big Idea Group Lietuva“, integruotos komunikacijos įmonių grupės strategė, viešosios politikos konsultantė“

Šakalienė has been a member of the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) since 2016, serving in the 2016–2020, 2020–2024, and 2024–2028 parliamentary terms.

„2024–2028 m. kadencija... Buvo išrinkta į 2020—2024 m. Seimą... Buvo išrinkta į 2016—2020 m. Seimą“

In 2017, Dovilė Šakalienė left the LVŽS parliamentary group and became a member of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP).

„Party: LSDP (2017–present) Otherparty: LVŽS (2016–2017)“

Šakalienė was appointed as the Minister of National Defence of Lithuania on 12 December 2024, serving in the government of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.

„Krašto apsaugos ministrė Dovilė Šakalienė... rugpjūčio 11-13 dienomis lankysis JAV...“

She served as Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence from December 2024 until October 2025.

„Von Dezember 2024 bis Oktober 2025 war sie Verteidigungsministerin im Kabinett Paluckas und im Kabinett Ruginienė“

Šakalienė is known for championing a 2017 child protection reform law that banned all forms of violence against children, a measure often colloquially referred to as the “Šakalienė law.”

„mano pozicija taip pat sutampa su Vyriausybės pozicija – Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija... pateikė savo pataisas ir... nerimą dėl pono Karbauskio pasiūlymų“

On 23 October 2017, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) invited Dovilė Šakalienė to join its parliamentary group, marking her departure from the LVŽS faction.

„Lietuvos socialdemokratų partija (LSDP) Seime į komandą pakvietė jungtis Seimo narę Dovilę Šakalienę… (lsdp.lt%20Seime%20%C4%AF%20komand%C4%85%20pakviet%C4%97%20jungtis%20Seimo%20nar%C4%99%20Dovil%C4%99%20%C5%A0akalien%C4%99))“

Šakalienė served as a Lithuanian representative to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from January 23, 2017, to January 21, 2018.

„… from 23/01/2017 to 21/01/2018 Representative - Lithuania (pace.coe.int)“

She has served as a member of the Seimas National Security and Defence Committee.

„Seimo Nacionalinio saugumo ir gynybos komiteto narė socialdemokratė D. Šakalienė apgailestavo...“

In the 2016–2020 Seimas term, Šakalienė served as a member of several committees: she initially sat on the Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committees (2016–2017), later joined the Education and Science Committee (2017–2019), and then moved to the National Security and Defence Committee (2019–2020).

„2019-09-30 – 2020-11-13 | Nacionalinio saugumo ir gynybos komitetas, Komiteto narė; 2017-06-22 – 2019-09-29 | Švietimo ir mokslo komitetas, Komiteto narė; 2016-11-16 – 2017-06-21 | Europos reikalų komitetas, Komiteto narė; 2016-11-16 – 2017-06-21 | Užsienio reikalų komitetas, Komiteto narė.“

In the 2016 parliamentary elections, she was elected to the Seimas via the nationwide multi-member constituency on the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) list.

„Constituency2: Multi-member... Otherparty: LVŽS (2016–2017)“

In the 2016 Seimas elections, Šakalienė was placed 30th on the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) list, but after the tally of preferential (reitingas) votes she jumped to the 17th position, thereby securing a seat in Parliament via the multi-member constituency.

„…į Seimą, pagal partijų daugiamandačių apygardų sąrašus, po reitingavimo patektų Valstiečių ir žaliųjų sąjungos atstovė... Dovilė Šakalienė, iš 30-os vietos pakilusi į 17-ąją“

In the October 2020 parliamentary elections, the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) won 8 seats in the multi-member constituency with 9.26% of the vote; Šakalienė ended up as the 8th ranked LSDP candidate after preferential votes were counted, which allowed her to claim the last of those eight proportional-seats in the Seimas.

„Lietuvos socialdemokratų partija – 9,26 proc. ir 8 mandatai. Pirmumo balsai: 1. GINTAUTAS PALUCKAS … 7. ORINTA LEIPUTĖ 8. DOVILĖ ŠAKALIENĖ“

In the October 2024 parliamentary elections, the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) won 19.36% of the national vote (securing 18 seats in the proportional multi-member constituency). LSDP ultimately emerged as the largest party in the Seimas with 52 of 141 seats, and Šakalienė was re-elected as an MP, most likely via the LSDP’s party list given her prominent position and the party’s strong performance.

„The Social Democratic party (LSDP) emerged as the winning party, securing 19.36% of the vote, which translated into 18 seats… will have the largest group in the next parliament, well ahead of its nearest rivals“

In her 2019 asset declaration (just before her second Seimas term), Šakalienė reported owning apartment(s) valued at €64,535 – a figure that remained unchanged in her declarations through 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

„2019 metais... jai priklausančių butų vertė siekė 64 535 Eur. Tokia pati butų vertė išliko ir jai antrą sykį patekus į Seimą bei nepakito per visus ataskaitose nurodytus metus“

Šakalienė’s liabilities decreased dramatically during her second term: in 2019 she had about €92,884 in loans outstanding, which by 2023 had been paid down to just €108 of remaining debt.

„2019 metais buvo pasiskolinusi ir negrąžinusi 92 884 Eur. O per kelerius metus ši suma... 2023 metų duomenys rodo, jog D. Šakalienė yra pasiskolinusi ir negrąžinusi vos 108 Eur“

Her family’s total declared assets (including her husband Valdas Šakalys’s holdings) have been roughly in the €144,000–156,000 range in recent years, while the couple’s combined debt dropped from €77,102 in 2020 to only €108 by 2023.

„bendrą šeimos turtą... ~144–156 tūkst. Eur. Jų bendros skolos 2020 metais siekė 77 102 Eur, tačiau 2023 metais liko vos 108 Eur“

According to official data, a rank-and-file Seimas member’s monthly base salary in 2017 was about €2,531 (before taxes), which reflects Šakalienė’s approximate pay as an MP at that time (excluding additional allowances).

„Eilinio Seimo nario... alga dabar siekia 2531 eurą“

As a minister in 2024–2025, Šakalienė’s official salary would be higher; for context, cabinet ministers earned about €3,105 per month in 2017, and by 2025 this figure is estimated to have risen to the mid–€3,000s (approximately €3,500) following public-sector pay increases.

„Ministrų pareiginė mėnesinė alga dabar siekia 3105 eurus. Nuo 2018 m. sausio 1 d. ji sieks 3153 eurus – 48 eurais daugiau“

Before the 2020–2024 term, Šakalienė was noted as one of the least wealthy incoming MPs – her 2019 declaration showed about €13,000 more debt than assets, a situation she explained was due to a home mortgage listed entirely under her name while the property’s value was split with her spouse.

„Antra pagal deklaruotą neturtingumą – socialdemokratė Dovilė Šakalienė... Jos deklaruotos skolos 13 tūkst. eurų suma viršija turtą....ji įvertino, kad klaidingai VRK duomenyse nurodyta būsto paskola – ji nėra padalinta abiem sutuoktiniams...“

Šakalienė’s financial declarations indicate a rapid improvement in her net worth during her second term. In 2019, her outstanding loans were about €92,884 (leaving her roughly €13,000 in net debt), whereas by 2023 she had only €108 of debt remaining. Since her declared assets (around €64,500 in apartment value) stayed nearly unchanged, this implies she paid down over €92,000 of debt in four years – a sum notably large relative to a Seimas member’s salary (approximately €2,531 per month in 2017). No public information was provided to explain the sources of funds used for such an accelerated loan repayment.

„2019 metais buvo pasiskolinusi ir negrąžinusi 92 884 Eur… 2023 metų duomenys rodo, jog D. Šakalienė yra pasiskolinusi ir negrąžinusi vos 108 Eur; Eilinio Seimo nario alga dabar siekia 2531 eurą“

By late 2024, an ordinary Seimas member’s salary had nearly doubled from mid-2010s levels: backbench MPs were earning about €4,000 “į rankas” (net) per month (roughly €6,700 gross), compared to just over €2,000 net around 2016.

„Jeigu dar praėjusią kadenciją eilinis Seimo narys gaudavo kiek daugiau nei 2 tūkstančius eurų „į rankas“, tai nuo šiol uždirbs po beveik 4 tūkstančius eurų „į rankas“.“

In October 2025, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė announced that oversight of the defense industry would be removed from the Ministry of Defence, citing a loss of confidence in Šakalienė’s performance as minister.

„Premjerė... ištransliavo žinutę, kad jos pasitikėjimas manimi susvyravęs“

In 2024, a question arose over whether Šakalienė had failed to disclose her husband’s workplace in her public declaration. The Seimas Ethics and Procedures Commission determined that she did not violate any rules, since her spouse (Valdas Šakalys) works in an intelligence agency and by law such information can be kept confidential.

„teisės aktai leidžia interesus deklaruojančiam asmeniui nedeklaruoti duomenų apie žvalgyboje dirbančius asmenis… Deklaruojantis asmuo gali nenurodyti artimo asmens ir jo privačių interesų, jeigu šie duomenys yra įslaptinti ir (ar) artimas asmuo vykdo žvalgybą, kontržvalgybą arba kriminalinę žvalgybą. Asmuo, kuris naudojasi įstatymo jam suteiktomis teisėmis, negali būti kaltinamas „nuslėpęs“ tai, ką pats įstatymas jam suteikia teisę nepranešti.““

On 16 September 2025, the Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK) announced it would not investigate Minister Šakalienė’s conduct regarding defense procurements involving her campaign donors, stating there was no evidence of any conflict of interest. The review found that she did not participate in Ministry tenders and none of the businesspeople who had funded her election campaign were involved in those procurements.

„VTEK nepradės tyrimo dėl ministrės D. Šakalienės elgesio… nėra duomenų, kad ministrė priimtų sprendimus dėl pirkimų, susijusių su ją Seimo rinkimuose rėmusiais verslininkais“

In November 2025, a public opinion survey (conducted by “Baltijos tyrimai” for ELTA) showed that Šakalienė – who had recently left the defence minister post amid controversy – had one of the most negatively evaluated reputations among Lithuanian politicians at that time.

„Pastarąjį mėnesį dėmesio centre atsidūrusios buvusios krašto apsaugos ministrės, socialdemokratės Dovilės Šakalienės vertinimas – vienas prasčiausių.“

On 21 October 2025, Šakalienė announced she would resign from the post of Minister of National Defence, explaining that she no longer had the confidence of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė or LSDP party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius.

„Krašto apsaugos ministrė... Dovilė Šakalienė antradienį pranešė priėmusi sprendimą trauktis iš pareigų. Tačiau prezidentas Gitanas Nausėda paprašė jos kol kas neteikti atsistatydinimo pareiškimo, nes nori tai aptarti su premjere. … Sprendimą atsistatydinti D. Šakalienė argumentavo tuo, kad nebeturi premjerės Ingos Ruginienės ir socdemų pirmininko Mindaugo Sinkevičiaus pasitikėjimo.“

It came to light in 2025 that several figures from Lithuania’s defense industry had financially supported Šakalienė’s 2020 parliamentary campaign – donors whose companies later participated in Ministry of Defence contracts – leading to public questions about a potential conflict of interest (though the ethics commission found no wrongdoing).

„D. Šakalienę prieš praėjusius Seimo rinkimus rėmė gynybos pramonės atstovai, kurių įmonės dalyvauja KAM pirkimuose.“

On November 11, 2025, after a ministerial handover ceremony, Šakalienė publicly complained that while all previous defence ministers were allowed to bid farewell to the troops, she was not given that opportunity.

„Prie Krašto apsaugos ministerijos įvyko ministrų pasikeitimo ceremonija... Šakalienė: visi krašto apsaugos ministrai galėjo atsisveikinti su kariais, man to neleido“

In June 2025, as Minister of National Defence, Šakalienė received a special “Išbandymas viešumu” (“Trial by Publicity”) award at the PR Impact Awards for her exceptional professionalism and responsibility in communicating during challenging situations.

„Specialusis apdovanojimas „Išbandymas viešumu“ buvo įteiktas krašto apsaugos ministrei Dovilei Šakalienei – už išskirtinį profesionalumą ir atsakomybę komunikuojant sudėtingose situacijose.“

On 6 December 2023, Šakalienė was honored at the American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania’s annual Gala with an “Oscar for Outstanding Leadership” award for her decisive leadership in coordinating the rescue of U.S. soldiers in Pabradė.

„„Oskaras už išskirtinę lyderystę“ … Šį apdovanojimą pelnė buvusi krašto apsaugos ministrė, politikė Dovilė Šakalienė – už ryžtingą vaidmens prisiėmimą bei lyderystę koordinuojant pajėgas ir kitų institucijų įsitraukimą gelbėjant JAV karius Pabradėje.“