VILNIUS — Members of the Lithuanian government’s ruling coalition say a shake-up in the Council of Ministers is coming, but the prime minister’s office denies it.

Members of the newly-formed United Lithuania Party claim that they voted for the controversial budget last week only because Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius promised to place them in ministerial positions in return. The United Lithuania Party is made up of former members of the National Resurrection Party, another coalition member, that split ranks in the fallout of party leader and former Speaker of the Seimas Arūnas Valinskas’ alleged association with gangsters. United Lithuania does not have a designated members on the Council of Ministers, while National Resurrection’s Remigijus Vilkaitis helms the Ministry of Culture.

However, the prime minister’s office says no such deal was agreed upon.

“There are no promises,” Ridas Jasiulionis, adviser to the prime minister, told Baltic Reports. “Kubilius invited United Lithuania to have the part in the coalition it deserves.”

Jasiulionis acknowledged that members of United Lithuania have been in talks with Kubilius since the summer to negotiate their place in the coalition, but “the end of that process is not yet known.”

Members of the United Lithuania Party, which is lead by Laimontas Dinius, provided crucial votes for the passing of the budget. Members of the faction opposed reductions in welfare benefits, but allegedly agreed to change their votes after discussions turned to new ministerial positions.

Jonas Stanevičius, a Seimas member of United Lithuania, told the media that Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius promised a minister position or two in exchange for support of the controversial budget.

“It is natural that our group, in order to actually work instead of being someone’s tool, must have some kind of careful levers over their constituencies,” Jonas Stanevičius, a Seimas member of United Lithuania, told Lietuvos Rytas.

Meanwhile Homeland Union-Christian Democrat Party elder Jurgis Razma told the press that a change in the cabinet is under consideration. Members of both parties told the media informally that the minister of the interior and the minister of culture may be two positions under consideration.

Requests for comment from United Lithuania by Baltic Reports were either refused or not responded to.

— Baltic Reports editor Nathan Greenhalgh contributed to this article.