Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas stepped down Thursday, following investigations into his business dealings that prompted protests calling for his resignation.

Paluckas, a newly established leader of the centre-left Social Democrats, ascended to the role late last year after a three-party coalition formed following a parliamentary election in October in Lithuania.

His entire Cabinet is also expected to resign, potentially leaving the Baltic country without an effective government weeks before Russia holds joint military exercises with neighbouring Belarus.