Government & politics — Lithuania

• 16 February 1918 (from Soviet Russia and Germany)
• 11 March 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union)
• 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)
• notable earlier dates: 6 July 1253 (coronation of MINDAUGAS, traditional founding date)
• 1 July 1569 (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created)

• Independence Day (or National Day), 16 February (1918)
• note - 16 February 1918 was the date Lithuania established its statehood and its concomitant independence from Soviet Russia and Germany
• 11 March 1990 was the date it declared the restoration of Lithuanian statehood and its concomitant independence from the Soviet Union

• history: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 25 October 1992,
• entered into force 2 November 1992 amendments: proposed by at least one fourth of all Parliament members or by petition of at least 300,000 voters; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of two readings three months apart and a presidential signature; amendments to constitutional articles on national sovereignty and constitutional amendment procedure also require three-fourths voter approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2019

• chief of state: Pres
• ident Gitanas NAUSEDA (since 12 July 2019) head of government: Pri
• me Minister Ingrida SIMONYTE (since 24 November 2020) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president,
• approved by Parliament elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 and 26 May 2019 (next to be held on 12 May 2024); prime minister appointed by the president,
• approved by Parliament election results: 2019: Gitanas NAUSEDA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Gitanas NAUSEDA (independent) 66.7%, Ingrida SIMONYTE (independent) 33.3% 2014: Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE elected president; percent of vote - Dalia GRYBAUSKAITE (independent) 59.1%, Zigmantas BALCYTIS (Social Democratic Party) 40.9%

Description

unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats; 71 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote and 70 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections

last held on 11 and 25 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2024)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party - NA
• seats by party - TS-LKD 50, LVZS 32, LSDP 13, LRLS 13, LP 11, DP 10, LLRA-KSS 3, LSDDP 3, LT 1, LZP 1, independent 4
• composition as of April 2023 - men 101, women 40, women 28 percent

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 37 judges); Constitutional Co
• urt (consists of 9 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Seimas; judges serve 5-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Seimas from nominations - 3 each by the president of the republic, the Seimas chairperson, and the Supreme Court president; judges serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms; one-third
• of membership reconstituted every 3 years subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; district and local courts

60 municipalities (savivaldybe, singular - savivaldybe); Akmene, Alytaus Miestas, Alytus, Anksciai, Birstonas, Birzai, Druskininkai, Elektrenai, Ignalina, Jonava, Joniskis, Jurbarkas, Kaisiadorys, Kalvarija, Kauno Miestas, Kaunas, Kazlu Rudos, Kedainiai, Kelme, Klaipedos Miestas, Klaipeda, Kretinga, Kupiskis, Lazdijai, Marijampole, Mazeikiai, Moletai, Neringa, Pagegiai, Pakruojis, Palangos Miestas, Panevezio Miestas, Panevezys, Pasvalys, Plunge, Prienai, Radviliskis, Raseiniai, Rietavas, Rokiskis, Sakiai, Salcininkai, Siauliu Miestas, Siauliai, Silale, Silute, Sirvintos, Skuodas, Svencionys, Taurage, Telsiai, Trakai, Ukmerge, Utena, Varena, Vilkaviskis, Vilniaus Miestas, Vilnius, Visaginas, Zarasai

• Democrats for Lithuania [Saulius SKVERNELIS]
• Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles or LLRA [Valdemar TOMASEVSKI]
• Freedom and Justice Party or LT [Remigijus ZEMAITAITIS] (formerly Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals))
• Freedom Party or LP [Ausrine ARMONAITE]
• Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats or TS-LKD [Gabrielius LANDSBERGIS]
• Labor Party or DP [Andrius MAZURONIS]
• Lithuanian Center Party or LCP [Naglis PUTEIKIS]
• Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union or LVZS [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS]
• Lithuanian Green Party or LZP [Remigijus LAPINSKAS]
• Lithuanian Liberal Movement or LS or LRLS [Viktorija CMILYTE-NIELSEN]
• Lithuanian List or LL [Darius KUOLYS]
• Lithuanian Regions Party or LRP [Jonas PINSKUS] (formerly Lithuanian Social Democratic Labor Party or LSDDP)
• Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSDP [Vilija BLINKEVICIUTE]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one pare
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Tamir WASER (since 12 August 2023) embassy: Akmenu gatve 6, Vilnius, LT-03106 mailing address: 4510 Vilnius Place, Washington DC 20521-4510

telephone

[370] (5) 266-5500

FAX

[370] (5) 266-5510

Email address and website

• consec@state.gov
• https://lt.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Audra PLEPYTE (since 7 July 2021)

chancery

2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone

[1] (202) 234-5860

FAX

[1] (202) 328-0466

Email address and website

• info@usa.mfa.lt
• https://usa.mfa.lt/usa/en/

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York