Albertas Šimėnas

Who is Albertas Šimėnas?

Albertas Šimėnas was Prime Minister of Lithuania for 3 days, from January 10 to January 13, 1991. He disappeared during the January Events and was replaced by Gediminas Vagnorius.

Šimėnas graduated from Vilnius University in 1972 with a degree in economics. He lectured at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University from 1984 to 1989. He joined activities of Sąjūdis movement and was elected to the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas. On March 11, 1990 he signed the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, declaring Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union. In January 1991, when the first government led by Kazimira Prunskienė resigned due to rising prices, Šimėnas became the Prime Minister. However, as the Russian Army entered Vilnius and surrounded key buildings, Šimėnas disappeared. In an emergency session, Gediminas Vagnorius took over his cabinet and became the Prime Minister. Šimėnas suddenly reappeared on January 14. He joined Vagnorius' government as Minister of Economy on May 30, 1991 and served until the government resigned on July 21, 1992. In 1994, he joined the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party. Later, he was elected to the Seimas.