The first woman to be elected president of Lithuania said May 18 the government must slash spending and questioned whether the country can afford its generous parental leave benefits.

A day after her landslide win, European Union budget chief Dalia Grybauskaite pledged to help Lithuania rebound from a deep recession and get ready to adopt the euro during her five-year term.

At a news conference, the karate black belt confirmed her reputation as a tough negotiator with a stern message to the center-right government: The budget must be cut and some ministers may lose their jobs when she takes office July 12.

Grybauskaite highlighted Lithuania's parental leave program as a possible area for budget cuts. It allows parents to stay home with a child with full pay for one year and 85 percent of their salary the second year. Both parents are eligible, though only one of them can receive the benefits.

"Raising babies for two years is a very good idea, but does Lithuania now have enough resources for this program? I am not sure," Grybauskaite said.

To lead by example, she said she would only take half of her yearly presidential salary of 312,000 litas ($120,000).