Politics of Lithuania
Politics of Lithuania takes place in a framework of a
History
Since Lithuania
All major political parties declared their support for Lithuania's membership in
Since 1991, Lithuanian voters have shifted from right to left and back again, swinging between the Conservatives, led by Vytautas Landsbergis, and the (formerly Communist) Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania, led by president Algirdas Brazauskas. During this period, the prime minister was Gediminas Vagnorius.
The cabinet of Algirdas Brazauskas resigned on 31 May 2006, as President Valdas Adamkus expressed no confidence in two of the Ministers, formerly party colleagues of Brazauskas, over ethical principles. Brazauskas decided not to remain in office as acting prime minister, and announced that he was finally retiring from politics.[10] Even so, he led the ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania for one more year, until 19 May 2007, when he passed the reins to Gediminas Kirkilas. On 27 November 2008, Andrius Kubilius of conservative Homeland Union was appointed as a prime minister.[11] In December 2012 Andrius Kubilius was succeeded by Algirdas Butkevičius after his Social Democratic Party became the biggest party in parliamentary elections.[12]
In 2016,
In October 2020, conservative opposition Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) won parliamentary elections with 50 seats. Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis' Union of Farmers and Greens came a distant second with just 32 seats.[15] In November 2020, Ingrida Šimonytė became new prime minister, after forming a centre-right coalition government of her TS-LKD and two liberal parties.[16]
Government
Government in Lithuania is made up of three branches originally envisioned by
Executive branch
The executive branch of the Lithuanian government consists of a president, a prime minister, and the president's Council of Ministers. It is in charge of running the government.
President
The president of Lithuania is the head of state of the country, elected directly for a five-year term and can serve maximum of two terms consecutively. Presidential elections take place in a modified version of the two-round system. If half of voters participate, a candidate must win a majority of the total valid vote in order to win election in the first round. If fewer than half of voters participate, a candidate can win outright with a plurality and at least one third of the total vote. If the first round does not produce a president, a runoff is held between the top two finishers in the first round, with a plurality sufficient to win.
The president, with the approval of the Seimas, is first responsible of appointing the prime minister. Upon the prime minister's nomination, the president also appoints, under the recommendation of the prime minister, the Council of Ministers (13 ministries), as well as a number of other top civil servants and the judges for all courts. The president also serves as the commander-in-chief, oversees foreign and security policy, addresses political problems of foreign and domestic affairs, proclaims states of emergency, considers the laws adopted by the Seimas, and performs other duties specified in the Constitution.[17] Lithuanian presidents have somewhat greater power than their counterparts in Estonia and Latvia, but have more influence in foreign policy than domestic policy.[18]
Former president
Dalia Grybauskaitė, the first female president, served as the president of Lithuania since July 2009 until 2019, winning a reelection bid in 2014. Grybauskaitė succeeded Valdas Adamkus who had served a total of two non-consecutive terms.[20]
In 2019,
Prime minister
The
Council of Ministers
Similar to the cabinet of other nations, the Council of Ministers consists of 13 ministers chosen by the prime minister and appointed by the president. Each minister is responsible for his or her own ministry of the Lithuanian government and must give reports on his or her ministry when directed to.[22] When the prime minister resigns or dies, the position is to be filled as soon as possible and the new leader will appoint a new government.
Current office holders
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
President
|
Gitanas Nausėda | Independent | 12 July 2019 |
Prime Minister | Ingrida Šimonytė | Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats
|
11 December 2020 |
Legislative branch
The parliament (
Political parties and elections
2019 presidential election
Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
Ingrida Šimonytė | Independent | 442,353 | 31.43 | 437,399 | 33.28 |
Gitanas Nausėda | Independent | 438,469 | 31.16 | 876,749 | 66.72 |
Saulius Skvernelis | Independent | 278,680 | 19.80 | ||
Vytenis Andriukaitis | Social Democratic Party of Lithuania | 67,802 | 4.82 | ||
Arvydas Juozaitis | Independent | 66,535 | 4.73 | ||
Valdemar Tomaševski |
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania | 56,411 | 4.01 | ||
Mindaugas Puidokas | Independent | 36,645 | 2.60 | ||
Naglis Puteikis | Lithuanian Centre Party |
11,214 | 0.80 | ||
Valentinas Mazuronis | Independent | 9,169 | 0.65 | ||
Invalid/blank votes | 9,905 | – | 17,097 | – | |
Total | 1,417,183 | 100 | 1,314,148 | 100 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 2,486,915 | 56.99 | 2,491,021 | 53.44 | |
Source: VRK, VRK |
2020 parliamentary election
Liberal Movement 79,755 | 7.04 | 6 | 103,238 | 9.28 | 0 | 60,841 | 6.85 | 7 | 13 | −1 | | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania | 56,386 | 4.97 | 0 | 53,007 | 4.76 | 2 | 14,837 | 1.67 | 1 | 3 | −5 | ||||||||||||
Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania | 37,197 | 3.28 | 0 | 51,923 | 4.67 | 0 | 26,199 | 2.95 | 3 | 3 | New | ||||||||||||
Centre Party – Nationalists | 26,769 | 2.36 | 0 | 20,468 | 1.84 | 0 | 5,405 | 0.61 | 0 | 0 | −1 | ||||||||||||
National Alliance | 25,098 | 2.21 | 0 | 14,938 | 1.34 | 0 | 0 | New | |||||||||||||||
Freedom and Justice | 23,355 | 2.06 | 0 | 28,641 | 2.57 | 0 | 9,631 | 1.08 | 1 | 1 | New | ||||||||||||
Lithuanian Green Party | 19,303 | 1.70 | 0 | 35,205 | 3.16 | 0 | 6,648 | 0.75 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||
The Way of Courage | 13,337 | 1.18 | 0 | 2,573 | 0.23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Lithuania – For Everyone | 11,352 | 1.00 | 0 | 7,917 | 0.71 | 0 | 0 | New | |||||||||||||||
Christian Union | 8,825 | 0.78 | 0 | 17,433 | 1.57 | 0 | 0 | New | |||||||||||||||
Union of Intergenerational Solidarity – Cohesion for Lithuania | 5,808 | 0.51 | 0 | 2,753 | 0.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Lithuanian People's Party | 2,946 | 0.26 | 0 | 1,087 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Lithuanian List | 1,043 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | –1 | ||||||||||||||||||
Independents | 43,083 | 3.87 | 0 | 41,938 | 4.72 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||||||
Total | 1,133,561 | 100.00 | 70 | 1,112,903 | 100.00 | 3 | 887,742 | 100.00 | 68 | 141 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Valid votes | 1,133,561 | 96.47 | 1,112,903 | 94.74 | 887,742 | 96.03 | |||||||||||||||||
Invalid/blank votes | 41,465 | 3.53 | 61,822 | 5.26 | 36,667 | 3.97 | |||||||||||||||||
Total votes | 1,175,026 | 100.00 | 1,174,725 | 100.00 | 924,409 | 100.00 | |||||||||||||||||
Registered voters/turnout | 2,457,722 | 47.81 | 2,457,722 | 47.80 | 2,355,726 | 39.24 | |||||||||||||||||
Source: VRK |
2019 European election
Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Homeland Union | 245,918 | 18.60 | 3 | |
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania | 199,217 | 17.26 | 2 | |
Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union | 157,604 | 11.92 | 2 | |
Labour Party | 112,964 | 8.54 | 1 | |
Liberal Movement
|
81,916 | 6.20 | 1 | |
Public election committee "Aušra Maldeikienė's Train" | 80,703 | 6.10 | 1 | |
"Waldemar Tomaszewski Block" - Coalition of Christian Families Alliance and Lithuanian Russian Union | 69,263 | 5.24 | 1 | |
Lithuanian Centre Party
|
64,091 | 4.85 | 0 | |
Public election committee "President Rolandas Paksas' Movement" | 50,130 | 3.79 | 0 | |
Public election committee "Vytautas Radžvilas: Recover the State!" | 41,860 | 3.17 | 0 | |
Order and Justice | 34,298 | 2.59 | 0 | |
Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania
|
29,592 | 2.24 | 0 | |
Lithuanian Green Party | 28,126 | 2.13 | 0 | |
Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals)
|
23,829 | 1.80 | 0 | |
Public election committee "Strong Lithuania in United Europe" | 16,671 | 1.26 | 0 | |
Public election committee "Decisive Leap" | 16,671 | 1.07 | 0 | |
Total | 1,250,377 | 100.00 | 11 |
Judicial branch
The judges of the
Administrative divisions
Lithuania has a three-tier administrative division: the country is divided into 10 counties (Lithuanian: singular – apskritis, plural – apskritys) that are further subdivided into 60 municipalities (Lithuanian: singular – savivaldybė, plural – savivaldybės) which consist of over 500 elderships (Lithuanian: singular – seniūnija, plural – seniūnijos).
The
Municipalities are the most important administrative unit. Some municipalities are historically called "district municipalities", and thus are often shortened to "district"; others are called "city municipalities", sometimes shortened to "city". Each municipality has its own elected government. In the past, the election of municipality councils occurred once every three years, but it now takes place every four years. The council appoints elders to govern the elderships. Mayors are elected directly since 2015, being appointed by the council before that.[24]
International organization participation
Notes
References
- ^ ISBN 9986-9216-7-8.
- ^ Veser, Ernst (23 September 1997). "Semi-Presidentialism-Duverger's Concept – A New Political System Model" (PDF) (in English and Chinese). Department of Education, School of Education, University of Cologne: 39–60. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
Duhamel has developed the approach further: He stresses that the French construction does not correspond to either parliamentary or the presidential form of government, and then develops the distinction of 'système politique' and 'régime constitutionnel'. While the former comprises the exercise of power that results from the dominant institutional practice, the latter is the totality of the rules for the dominant institutional practice of the power. In this way, France appears as 'presidentialist system' endowed with a 'semi-presidential regime' (1983: 587). By this standard he recognizes Duverger's pléiade as semi-presidential regimes, as well as Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania (1993: 87).
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(help) - ^ Shugart, Matthew Søberg (September 2005). "Semi-Presidential Systems: Dual Executive and Mixed Authority Patterns" (PDF). Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. United States: University of California, San Diego. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
- . Retrieved 23 August 2017.
A pattern similar to the French case of compatible majorities alternating with periods of cohabitation emerged in Lithuania, where Talat-Kelpsa (2001) notes that the ability of the Lithuanian president to influence government formation and policy declined abruptly when he lost the sympathetic majority in parliament.
- ^ "Democracy Index 2022: Frontline democracy and the battle for Ukraine" (PDF). Economist Intelligence Unit. 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Nuo 1991 m. iki šiol paskelbtų referendumų rezultatai (Results from Refrenda 1991 – present), Microsoft Word Document, Seimas. Accessed 4 June 2006.
- ^ "Lithuania - NATO Membership".
- ^ "Lithuania". 5 July 2016.
- ^ "Government of Lithuania". Vil S. Vaitas, P.E. and Associates International Consultants. Fairfax, VA.
- ^ "Brazauskas resigns amid governmental collapse".
- ^ "Andrius Kubilius".
- ^ "Lithuania profile - Leaders". BBC News. 29 May 2014.
- ^ "Lithuanian election brings major shake-up | DW | 24.10.2016". Deutsche Welle.
- ^ Sytas, Andrius (22 November 2016). "Defense hawk Skvernelis to be new Lithuanian prime minister". Reuters.
- ^ "Centre-right opposition wins Lithuania's parliamentary election".
- ^ "Lithuania to get new conservative-liberal coalition prime minister". 26 October 2020.
- ^ a b Lithuanian Home Page Archived 1 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ https://www.tlu.ee/opmat/ri/rit6006/institutionaldesign/5_1slaid.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Lithuania's impeached president Paksas acquitted of influence peddling". 15 April 2020.
- ^ "Lithuania President Re-elected on Anti-Russian Platform | Voice of America - English".
- ^ Sytas, Andrius (26 May 2019). "Lithuania's Nauseda wins presidential election". Reuters.
- ^ Lithuania in the European Union – Coordination of European Union Affairs in Lithuania
- ^ (in Lithuanian) (Republic of Lithuania Annul Law on County Governing), Seimas law database, 7 July 2009, Law no. XI-318.
- ^ (in Lithuanian) Justinas Vanagas, Seimo Seimas įteisino tiesioginius merų rinkimus Archived 14 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Delfi.lt, 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2015.