Seimas

The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania exercises legislative power in Lithuania. The powers of the Seimas are defined by the Constitution and the laws of Lithuania.

The primary function of the Seimas is to consider, adopt and issue laws and amendments to the Constitution. The Seimas also approves the state budget proposed by the Government, supervises its implementation, and sets state taxation. In foreign relations, the Seimas ratifies international treaties.^[2]

Decisions of the Seimas are taken in open simple majority votes. In some cases prescribed by law, a secret ballot is held, for example in expressing no-confidence in the government. Constitutional laws are adopted by the Seimas in a majority vote and can be changed only by a 3/5 majority vote. The list of constitutional laws needs to be approved in a 3/5 majority vote. Changes to the Constitution itself need to be approved in two votes separated by no less than three months, by a 2/3 majority. Changes to international borders of Lithuania need to be approved by 4/5 of the members of the Seimas.^[3]

The Seimas approves or rejects the candidate for the Prime Minister nominated by the President.^[4] The Seimas must also give its assent to the newly formed Government and its programme before the Government can start their work. The Government remains accountable to the Seimas for its activities. If the Seimas expresses no-confidence in the Prime Minister or the Government as a whole, the Government must resign^[5]: 228 and can ask the president to call an early election.

Members of Seimas have legal immunity and cannot be arrested or detained without the consent of the vote of Seimas.^[6]

The Seimas appoints and dismisses justices and presidents of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, proposed by the President.^[3] In its legislative capacity, the Seimas also sets the basis for a judiciary institution advising and, to some extent, binding the President in appointing, promoting or dismissing other judges.^{[5]: 261–262}

The Seimas also establishes and disestablishes ministries of the Government, establishes state awards, can declare martial law and emergencies, start mobilization and introduce direct local rule on municipalities.

Electoral process

The Seimas has 141 members, elected to a four-year term in parallel voting, with 71 members elected in single-seat constituencies and 70 members elected by proportional representation.^[7] Ordinary elections to the Seimas take place on the second Sunday of October, with the voting open for all citizens of Lithuania who are at least 18 years old.

Members of Parliament in the 71 single-seat constituencies are elected in a majority vote, with a run-off held within 15 days, if necessary. The remaining 70 seats are allocated to the participating political parties using the largest remainder method. Parties normally need to receive at least 5% (7% for multi-party electoral lists) of the votes to be eligible for a seat. Candidates take the seats allocated to their parties based on the preference lists submitted before the election and adjusted by preference votes given by the voters.^[7]

Latest election

Party		Nationwide constituency			Single-member constituencies						Total seats	+/–
					First round			Second round
		Votes	%[a]	Seats	Votes	%[a]	Seats	Votes	%[a]	Seats
	Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats	292,068	25.77	23	267,976	24.21	1	352,566	40.21	26	50	+19
	Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union	204,780	18.07	16	169,551	15.32	0	209,714	23.92	16	32	−22
	Labour Party	110,780	9.77	9	88,083	7.96	0	8,077	0.92	1	10	+8
	Social Democratic Party of Lithuania	108,641	9.59	8	130,559	11.79	0	75,560	8.62	5	13	−4
	Freedom Party	107,057	9.45	8	69,740	6.30	0	68,630	7.83	3	11	New
	Liberal Movement	79,742	7.04	6	102,586	9.27	0	57,671	6.58	7	13	−1
	Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance	56,382	4.97	0	52,905	4.78	2	14,835	1.69	1	3	−5
	Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania	37,198	3.28	0	51,229	4.63	0	26,198	2.99	3	3	New
	Centre Party – Nationalists	26,767	2.36	0	20,474	1.85	0	5,405	0.62	0	0	−1
	National Alliance	25,092	2.21	0	14,938	1.35	0	–	–	–	0	New
	Freedom and Justice	23,350	2.06	0	28,568	2.58	0	9,631	1.10	1	1	New
	Lithuanian Green Party	19,307	1.70	0	35,174	3.18	0	6,648	0.76	1	1	±0
	The Way of Courage	13,337	1.18	0	2,573	0.23	0	–	–	–	0	±0
	Lithuania – For everyone	11,351	1.00	0	7,692	0.69	0	–	–	–	0	New
	Christian Union	8,833	0.78	0	17,360	1.57	0	–	–	–	0	New
	Union of Intergenerational Solidarity – Cohesion for Lithuania	5,807	0.51	0	2,753	0.23	0	–	–	–	0	New
	Lithuanian People's Party	2,950	0.26	0	1,087	0.10	0	–	–	–	0	±0
	Independents	–	–	–	43,756	3.95	0	41,936	4.78	4	4	±0
Invalid/blank votes		41,401	–	–	61,585	–	–	36,535
Total		1,174,843	100	70	1,168,350	100	3	917,720	100	68	141	±0
Registered voters/turnout		2,457,722	47.80	–	2,457,722	47.54	–	2,355,726	38.96
Source: Central Electoral Commission[8]

Previous elections

Seven elections of the Seimas have been held in Lithuania since independence in 1990.

Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania won the absolute majority of seats in the first election in 1992,^[9] the only time it has been achieved in independent Lithuania as of 2015. The party suffered electoral setback in 1996, but remained a major electoral force in the election of 2000 (in cooperation with Social Democratic Party of Lithuania), allowing it to form the government in 2001. The two parties merged under the banner of Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and formed the government after the elections of 2004 and 2012, and participated in the government as a junior partner after the elections of 2016.

Sąjūdis, which had led Lithuania into independence, finished distant second in 1992. Its right wing formed the Homeland Union, a conservative party which won the election in 1996, gaining 70 seats and governing with the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party. The two parties merged in 2008 under the banner of Homeland Union, winning the election in the same year with 45 seats.

Other parties that have gained at least 10 seats in any election to the Seimas are Centre Union of Lithuania, New Union (Social Liberals) (part of the ruling coalition between 2001 and 2008, later merged with Labour Party), Liberal Union of Lithuania (part of the ruling coalition between 2000 and 2001, later merged with the Centre Union of Lithuania to form Liberal and Centre Union), Labour Party (part of the ruling coalition between 2004 and 2008, as well as between 2012 and 2016), Order and Justice (part of the ruling coalition between 2012 and 2016), Liberal and Centre Union (part of the ruling coalition between 2008 and 2012, later merged with YES to form Lithuanian Freedom Union), Peasants and New Democratic Party Union (now Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, leading a coalition government since 2016), National Resurrection Party (part of the ruling coalition between 2008 and 2011, when it merged into Liberal and Centre Union) and Liberal Movement (part of the ruling coalition between 2008 and 2012).

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Elections in Lithuania

Elections in Lithuania

Elections in Lithuania are held to select members of the parliament, the president, members of the municipal councils and mayors, as well as delegates to the European Parliament. Lithuanian citizens can also vote in mandatory or consultative referendums.

Parallel voting

Parallel voting

Parallel voting is a type of mixed electoral system in which representatives are voted into a single chamber using two or more different systems, most often first-past-the-post voting (FPTP) with party-list proportional representation (PR). It is the most common form of mixed member majoritarian representation (MMM), which is why these terms are often used synonymously with each other. In some countries, parallel voting is known as the supplementary member (SM) system, while in academic literature it is sometimes called the superposition method within mixed systems.

Largest remainder method

Largest remainder method

The largest remainder method is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems. It contrasts with various highest averages methods.

2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election

2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania on 11 and 25 October 2020 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. 71 were elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency using proportional representation. The first round was held on 11 October and the second round on 25 October.

Homeland Union

Homeland Union

The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, also known colloquially simply as the Conservatives, is a centre-right political party in Lithuania. It has 18,000 members and 49 of 141 seats in the Seimas. Its current leader is Gabrielius Landsbergis, who replaced Andrius Kubilius in 2015. It is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) and the International Democrat Union (IDU).

Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union

Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union

The Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union is a green-conservative and agrarian political party in Lithuania led by Ramūnas Karbauskis.

Labour Party (Lithuania)

Labour Party (Lithuania)

The Labour Party is a populist political party in Lithuania. The party was founded in 2003 by the Russian-born millionaire businessman and member of Seimas Viktor Uspaskich.

Freedom Party (Lithuania)

Freedom Party (Lithuania)

The Freedom Party is a political party in Lithuania, founded on 1 June 2019 and led by former Liberal Movement member Aušrinė Armonaitė.

National Alliance (Lithuania)

National Alliance (Lithuania)

The National Alliance is a Lithuanian nationalist political party, established on 7 March 2020. The chairman is the philosopher Vytautas Radžvilas.

Freedom and Justice

Freedom and Justice

Freedom and Justice (Lithuanian: Laisvė ir Teisingumas, LT), known until 6 June 2020 as the Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals) (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Laisvės Sąjunga (Liberalai)), is a conservative liberal political party in Lithuania. It holds soft eurosceptic views.

Lithuanian Green Party

Lithuanian Green Party

The Lithuanian Green Party is a green-liberal political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2011. Ieva Budraitė is their leader. Algirdas Butkevičius is its only member in parliament. From 2012 to 2020, it was represented by Linas Balsys in parliament.

Christian Union (Lithuania)

Christian Union (Lithuania)

Christian Union is a political party in Lithuania. It held its constituent congress on 8 February 2020.

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen is the current Speaker of the Seimas.

The sittings of the Seimas are presided over by the Speaker of the Seimas or a Deputy Speaker. The first sitting of the Seimas after an election is opened by the eldest member of the Seimas.^[3]

The Speaker of the Seimas represents the Seimas and directs its work.^[10] Under the legislative procedure, the Speaker submits the laws adopted by the Seimas to the President and may sign and proclaim the laws that are not signed or returned by the President in due time.

The Speaker of the Seimas may temporarily act as the President or deputise for President in cases where the President is abroad or is incapable to exercise the duties of the office. The Speaker of the Seimas, in such a situation, does not have the full powers of the President.^[3]

The Speaker of the Seimas and the Deputy Speakers are responsible to the Seimas for their activities, answering questions submitted by the members of the parliament. Under the Statute of the Seimas, the Speakers of the Seimas suspend membership in their political groups upon election.^[11]

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen is the current Speaker of the Seimas.^[12]

The operations of the Seimas are primarily governed by the Constitution of Lithuania and the Statute of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.

Legislative procedure

The right of legislative initiative in the Seimas belongs to the members of the Seimas, the President, and the Government. Citizens of Lithuania can also propose laws and proposals backed by at least 50 000 voters must be considered by the Seimas. The legislative procedure for proposed laws is regulated by the Statute of the Seimas.^[13]

All draft laws and proposals submitted to the Seimas, and any changes or supplements to previously submitted proposals must be registered with the Secretariat of the Seimas Sittings. The legal department of the Seimas then reviews the draft law, issuing a conclusion on whether or not the draft is in compliance with existing laws and the technical rules of law-making.

The draft laws are presented to the Seimas, which can vote to commence the procedure of consideration of the draft, postpone it or reject the draft. If the Seimas decides to commence the procedure of consideration, it appoints the principal and additional Committees to consider the draft law.

The Seimas Committees perform thorough analysis of the draft law, present it to interested state institutions and organizations, consult specialists in different fields and hear opinions on the draft. Interested persons can, at this stage, provide proposals and opinions on the draft.

The reports of the principal Committee and any other Committees are heard by the Seimas and a general discussion is held. A vote is taken on the amendments to the draft law, which can be proposed and presented by any person with the right of legislative initiative. Finally, the Seimas votes on whether to approve the draft law confirmed by the Committee together with amendments adopted at a sitting of the Seimas.

The adopted laws are submitted to the President. The President can return the law to the Seimas for additional consideration or sign it. Seimas can, but is not obliged to, take proposals by the President into account and can approve the laws returned by the President in a simple majority vote. If the President does not sign the law returned after additional consideration or neither signs nor returns the law after the initial submission, the Speaker of the Seimas can sign the law.^[3] The law comes into effect after being published in the "Official Gazette" ("Valstybės žinios").

Plenary sittings

The Seimas meets annually in two regular sessions: a spring session (10 March – 30 June) and an autumn session (10 September – 23 December). Extraordinary sessions can be called by the Speaker of the Seimas upon the proposal of at least one third of all members of the Seimas, or, in some cases, by the President.^[2]

When the Seimas is in session, there are four plenary sittings of the Seimas per week: two on Tuesday and two on Thursday, which are presided by the Speaker of the Seimas or the Deputy Speaker. As a rule, the sittings of the Seimas are open to the public.^[14] The open sittings of the Seimas are also broadcast on cable television and via the internet.^[15]

The programmes for the sessions of the Seimas and the draft agendas of sittings are drafted and approved by the Assembly of the Elders, which is made up of the members of the Board of the Seimas and representatives of the parliamentary groups.^[2]

Board of the Seimas

The board of the Seimas consists of the Speaker of the Seimas, the Deputy Speakers, and the leader of the opposition. The Speaker and the Deputy Speakers are elected by the members of the parliament in session.^[16]

Parliamentary committees

Parliamentary committees are elected by the Seimas from among its members. The committees consider draft legislation and can explore and clarify other issues in their area of competence.^[2]

The committees are formed during the first session of the newly elected Seimas and can have between 7 and 17 members (with the exception of the Committee on European Affairs, which has at least 15 members). Members are selected based on proportional representation of parliamentary groups. Each committee elects its Chair and Deputy Chair, subject to approval by the Seimas.^[17]

The Seimas Palace (Lithuanian: Seimo Rūmai) is the seat of the Seimas. It consists of three buildings in the center of Vilnius, at the end of Gediminas Avenue. The main building (I Seimas Palace) was designed by architects Algimantas Nasvytis and his brother Vytautas Nasvytis as the Palace of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR.^[18] Construction, at the site of a former stadium, started in 1976 and was completed in 1980. On March 11, 1990, the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania was proclaimed in the main hall of the building. The hall, now referred to as the Hall of the Act of 11 March, housed the sessions of the Seimas until 2007 and is now used for special occasions.^[19] The offices of most of the parliament members are also located in this building.

The two other buildings were built around the same time and were connected to the main building after the independence, as the demand for working space increased. The II Seimas Palace, close to Neris river, originally housed the Ministry of Finance of the Lithuanian SSR. After a renovation finished in 2007, the main chamber of the II Seimas Palace houses the sessions of the Seimas. The building also houses the Chancellery of the Seimas. The III Seimas Palace was originally occupied by the Council of the Center of Labour Unions and is now used by the Committees of the Seimas, also housing the restaurant and other administrative functions.

January events of 1991 are commemorated by fragments of the barricades and memorial signs around the Palace.

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Seimas Palace

Seimas Palace

Seimas Palace is the seat of the Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament. It is located in Lithuania's capital Vilnius.

Lithuanian language

Lithuanian language

Lithuanian is an Eastern Baltic language belonging to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is the official language of Lithuania and one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.8 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 200,000 speakers elsewhere.

Gediminas Avenue

Gediminas Avenue

Gediminas Avenue is the main street of Vilnius, where most of the governmental institutions of Lithuania are concentrated, including the government, parliament, Constitutional Court and ministries. It is also the location of cultural institutions such as the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, Bank of Lithuania, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and Martynas Mažvydas National Library. It is also a popular shopping and dining street. It is partially a pedestrian street in the evenings when traffic is prohibited.

Algimantas Nasvytis

Algimantas Nasvytis

Algimantas Nasvytis was a Lithuanian architect. He was active in the pro-independence Sąjūdis movement and served as Minister of Construction and Urban Development in the first four Cabinets of Lithuania after Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union.

Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania

Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania

The Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania or Act of March 11 was an independence declaration by Lithuania adopted on March 11, 1990, signed by all members of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania led by Sąjūdis. The act emphasized restoration and legal continuity of the interwar-period Lithuania, which was occupied by the Soviet Union and annexed in June 1940. In March, 1990, it was the first of the 15 Soviet republics to declare independence, with the rest following suit over the ensuing twenty-one months. These events lead to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.

Neris

Neris

The river Neris or Viliya rises in northern Belarus. It flows westward, passing through Vilnius and in the south-centre of that country it flows into the Nemunas (Neman), at Kaunas, as its main tributary. Its length is 510 km (320 mi).

January Events (Lithuania)

January Events (Lithuania)

The January Events were a series of violent confrontations between the civilian population of Lithuania, supporting independence, and the Soviet Armed Forces. The events took place between 11 and 13 January 1991, after the restoration of independence by Lithuania. As a result of the Soviet military actions, 14 civilians were killed and over 140 were injured. 13 January, sometimes referred to as Bloody Sunday, was the most violent day. The events were primarily centered in the capital city Vilnius, but Soviet military activity and confrontations occurred elsewhere in the country, including Alytus, Šiauliai, Varėna and Kaunas.

Origins

The first traces of large nobility meetings can be found in the negotiations for Treaty of Salynas in 1398. However, it is considered that the first Seimas met in Hrodna in 1445 during talks between Casimir IV Jagiellon and the Council of Lords.^[20] As the Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars raged, the Grand Duke needed more tax revenues to finance the army and had to call the Seimas more frequently.^[20] In exchange for increased taxation, the nobility demanded various privileges, including strengthening the Seimas.

At first the Seimas did not have the legislative power. It would debate on foreign and domestic affairs, taxes, wars and treasury. At this time, there were no rules regulating how frequently the Seimas would assemble, who could participate, how the sessions should take place or what functions the Seimas had. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Seimas acquired some legislative powers and could petition the Grand Duke to pass certain laws, which the Duke usually granted in exchange for nobility's support and cooperation in taxation and war matters.^[20]

Major reforms were carried out between 1564 and 1566, just before the Union of Lublin. In the Second Statute of Lithuania, the Seimas acquired full legislative powers, acting as the lower house of the parliament, with the Lithuanian Council of Lords as the upper house. It was at this point that elections to the Seimas were introduced (local nobles would elect their delegates) – any noble could participate in the Seimas before.

Seimas of the Grand Dutchy was abolished in 1569, with the Union of Lublin. The Union created a new state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and joined the Seimas of Lithuania with the Sejm of Poland into a single Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. By this time, 40 Seimas of Lithuania had taken place.^[20]

Nobles of Lithuania continued to meet until the partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth under the name of Lithuanian Convocations. They debated matters concerning the Grand Duchy of Lithuania or tried to establish a common position among Lithuanian delegates before departing for the Sejm of the Commonwealth.^[20]

The Sejm of the Commonwealth, General Sejm, was the parliament of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the Union of Lublin until the late 18th century. The sejm was a powerful political institution, and from early 16th century, the Polish king (who was the Grand Duke of Lithuania) could not pass laws without the approval of that body.

Sejm session at the Royal Castle, Warsaw, 1622

Duration and frequencies of the sejms changed over time, with the six-week sejm session convened every two years being most common. Sejm locations changed throughout history, eventually with the Commonwealth capital of Warsaw emerging as the primary location. The number of sejm deputies and senators grew over time, from about 70 senators and 50 deputies in the 15th century to about 150 senators and 200 deputies in the 18th century. Early sejms have seen mostly majority voting, but beginning in the 17th century, unanimous voting became more common, and 32 sejms were vetoed with the infamous liberum veto, particularly in the first half of the 18th century. This vetoing procedure has been credited with significantly paralyzing the Commonwealth governance. In addition, beginning in 1573, three special types of sejms handled the process of the royal election in the interregnum period.

Postage stamp commemorating the Great Seimas of Vilnius

The Great Seimas of Vilnius was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 in Vilnius, Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, largely inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1905. It was the first modern national congress in Lithuania, with over 2,000 participants. The assembly made the decision to demand wide political autonomy within the Russian Empire and achieve this by peaceful means. It is considered an important step towards the Act of Independence of Lithuania, adopted on February 16, 1918 by the Council of Lithuania, as the Seimas laid the groundwork for the establishment of an independent Lithuanian state.

Interwar period

The location of the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania in Kaunas (interwar period)

The first widely elected body in Lithuania after the declaration of independence on February 16, 1918, was the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania. The election was held on April 14–15, 1920. The voter turnout reached about 90%.

The primary role of the Constituent Assembly was to adopt the Constitution of Lithuania, which was accomplished on August 1, 1922. The new constitution gave broad powers to the parliament, the Seimas, elected to a three-year term. Seimas would select the Cabinet of Ministers and elect the President. In addition, the Constituent Assembly adopted numerous laws, including a broad land reform and introduced Litas as the national currency.

The First Seimas of Lithuania was the first parliament of Lithuania elected in accordance with the constitution of 1922. The election took place on October 10–11, 1922. However, no party was able to form a sustainable coalition and the Seimas was dissolved on March 12, 1923. New elections were held on May 12 and May 13.

The Second Seimas of Lithuania was the only regular interwar Seimas which completed its full three-year term. The Christian Democrats gained two additional seats which were enough to give them a slim majority. The Seimas continued the land reform, expanded the network of primary and secondary schools and introduced a system of social support. However, it did not bring political stability, as it saw several short-lived governments.

The Third Seimas of Lithuania in 1926

The Third Seimas of Lithuania was elected on May 8–10, 1926, with the Christian Democrats in opposition for the first time. The Lithuanian Popular Peasants' Union and Social Democrats formed a coalition government which lifted martial law, restored democratic freedoms, and declared broad amnesty to political prisoners. However, the government was sharply criticized following some unpopular decisions. The Seimas was interrupted by 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état in December, when the democratically elected government was replaced with the authoritarian rule of Antanas Smetona. The Third Seimas was dissolved on March 12, 1927 and new elections were not called until 1936.

The Fourth Seimas of Lithuania was elected on 9 and 10 June 1936. Elections took place under the constitution of 1928, which had been proclaimed by president Smetona without the assent of the Seimas. The parliament was elected to a five-year term. With opposition parties effectively barred from participating, Lithuanian Nationalists Union got 42 (of 49) seats, with the remaining seven seats taken by the Young Lithuania, a youth branch of the Nationalists Union. The primary task of the new Seimas was to adopt a new constitution, which was accomplished on 11 February 1938. The new constitution provided for even more powers to the president.

After the Soviet ultimatum in June 1940 and subsequent occupation, the Fourth Seimas was dismissed and a puppet People's Seimas was elected in a heavily rigged elections, in order to give legal sanction to the occupation and annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union. The new parliament proclaimed the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, petitioned for admission to the Soviet Union (a petition that was accepted on August 3, 1940), adopted a new constitution and renamed itself to the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR, a rubber stamp legislature.

Since 1990

Vytautas Landsbergis was the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Lithuania

On March 11, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Lithuanian SSR proclaimed the independence of Lithuania from the Soviet Union, renaming itself the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania (also called Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas, and regarded as the Fifth Seimas). The council adopted the Provisional Basic Law that served as a temporary constitution and worked on the Constitution of Lithuania that was submitted and approved by voters in a referendum on October 25, 1992.^[21]

Seven elections of the Seimas have since taken place under the constitution.

Vytautas Landsbergis near the primary Seimas door with the recently added Vytis above them, in 1990.

The first election in independent Lithuania was held on October 25, 1992, with a run-off on November 15. The election was won by the (ex-communist) Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania, which gained 73 of the 141 seats in the Sixth Seimas.^[9] Algirdas Brazauskas was elected the first speaker of the Seimas on November 25, 1992, becoming the acting President on the same day. Česlovas Juršėnas then became the acting (and later permanent) Speaker of the Seimas.^[22] The period was plagued by poor economic situation and financial scandals, including one involving former Prime Minister Adolfas Šleževičius.^[23]

The election to the Seventh Seimas was held on October 20, 1996 with the run-off on November 10. The election was won by the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Conservative Party, which gained 70 seats and formed a coalition with the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party (16 seats).^[23] Later part of the term of the Seimas was again characterized by an economic crisis, brought about by Russian financial crisis of 1998. In addition, several high-profile privatizations were undertaken, including that of Mazeikiu Nafta oil refinery.^[24] Vytautas Landsbergis served as the Speaker of the Seimas during the term.

The Eighth Seimas was elected on October 8, 2000. Liberal Union of Lithuania won the most seats of any party in the election, with 33,^[24] forming the government with New Union (Social Liberals) (its leader, Artūras Paulauskas becoming the Speaker of the Seimas), Lithuanian Centre Union and the Modern Christian Democrats. The coalition was short-lived and Algirdas Brazauskas, a social democrat, became the prime minister less than a year later.^[25] This term of the Seimas saw Lithuania fulfilling its long-term foreign policy goals of joining NATO and the European Union. Speaker of the Seimas Artūras Paulauskas also served for two months in 2004 as the Acting President of Lithuania after the impeachement of Rolandas Paksas and before the new election took place.^[26]

The Social Democrats remained at the helm of the government after the 2004 parliamentary election, which was held on October 10, with the run-off on October 24. The party was the third-largest in the Ninth Seimas after the election with 20 seats, behind Labour Party with 39 and Homeland Union (Lithuanian Conservatives) with 25,^[27] but managed to govern together with New Union (Social Liberals) (11 seats), the Labour Party and the support of other parties. It was the first time since independence that a ruling government survived an election. Artūras Paulauskas was reelected as the Speaker of the Seimas, but was replaced by Viktoras Muntianas in 2006. In 2006, the Labour Party left the coalition when its leader was removed from the post of Minister of Economy and the Social Democrats formed a coalition with the Civil Democracy Party, the Peasants and People's Party, and the Liberal and Centre Union, although the coalition had to rule in a minority and relied on support of opposition parties.^[28] New Union (Social Liberals) later rejoined the coalition in early 2008.^[29] Česlovas Juršėnas once again became the Speaker of the Seimas in April 2008.

The Tenth Seimas was elected on October 12, 2008, with a run-off on October 26. Homeland Union became the largest party with 45 seats,^[30] forming a coalition with populist and short-lived National Resurrection Party (16 seats), Liberal Movement (11 seats) and Liberal and Centre Union (8 seats). Arūnas Valinskas of the National Resurrection Party was elected the Speaker of the Seimas. Ten months later, on September 17, 2009, he was replaced by Irena Degutienė of the Homeland Union,^[31] who became the first female Speaker of the Seimas.^[32] The term of the Tenth Seimas was plagued a severe economic crisis and the bust of the housing bubble. The Seimas and the Government responded with a wide-ranging and much-criticized tax reform and severe austerity, bringing about wide dissatisfaction and protests.^[33]

As a result of widespread dissatisfaction with the ruling coalition, the ruling parties fared poorly in the 2012 parliamentary election. The Social Democrats became the largest party in the Eleventh Seimas, with 38 seats, forming a government coalition with Labour Party (19 seats), Order and Justice (11 seats) and Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (8 seats). Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania withdrawn from the coalition in 2014.^[34]

Elections in 2016 resulted in another shift of power. Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, a minor party in the preceding parliament, won a sweeping victory, securing 54 seats in the Twelfth Seimas (eventually rising to 59 as they were joined by several independents). The Social Democrats lost a lot of their support and finished with 17 seats (they were joined in the Seimas by the two members of Labour Party), but remained as a junior partner in the ruling coalition with Peasants and Greens Union.^[35] By 2019, coalition included two other parties (Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and Order and Justice), but latter had been expelled in the same year.

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Treaty of Salynas

Treaty of Salynas

The Treaty of Salynas was a peace treaty signed on 12 October 1398 by Vytautas the Great, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Konrad von Jungingen, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights. It was signed on an islet of the Neman River, probably between Kulautuva and the mouth of the Nevėžis River. It was the third time, after the Treaty of Königsberg (1384) and Treaty of Lyck (1390), that Vytautas promised Samogitia to the Knights. The territory was important to the Knights as it physically separated the Teutonic Knights in Prussia from its branch in Livonia. It was the first time that the Knights and Vytautas attempted to enforce the cession of Samogitia. However, it did not solve the territorial disputes over Samogitia and they dragged on until the Treaty of Melno in 1422.

Casimir IV Jagiellon

Casimir IV Jagiellon

Casimir IV was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447, until his death. He was one of the most active Polish-Lithuanian rulers, under whom Poland, by defeating the Teutonic Knights in the Thirteen Years' War recovered Pomerania, and the Jagiellonian dynasty became one of the leading royal houses in Europe.

Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars

Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars

The Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars were a series of wars between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, allied with the Kingdom of Poland, and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which would later become the Tsardom of Russia. After several defeats at the hands of Ivan III and Vasily III, the Lithuanians were increasingly reliant on Polish aid, which eventually became an important factor in the creation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Before the first series of wars in the 15th century, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania controlled vast stretches of Eastern European land, from Kyiv to Mozhaysk, following the collapse of Kievan Rus' after the Mongol invasions. Over the course of the wars, particularly in the 16th century, the Muscovites expanded their domain westwards, taking control of many principalities.

Lithuanian Council of Lords

Lithuanian Council of Lords

The Lithuanian Council of Lords was the main permanent institution of central government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania active in its capital city of Vilnius.

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch in real union, who was both King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. It was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th- to 17th-century Europe. At its largest territorial extent, in the early 17th century, the Commonwealth covered almost 1,000,000 km2 (400,000 sq mi) and as of 1618 sustained a multi-ethnic population of almost 12 million. Polish and Latin were the two co-official languages.

Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm, officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland.

Royal Castle, Warsaw

Royal Castle, Warsaw

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a state museum and a national historical monument, which formerly served as the official royal residence of several Polish monarchs. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the royal court were located in the Castle from the 16th century until the final partition of Poland in 1795. Situated in the Castle Square, at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town, the Royal Castle holds a significant collection of Polish and European art and is the 15th most visited art museum in the world with over 1.1 million visitors in 2021.

Liberum veto

Liberum veto

The liberum veto was a parliamentary device in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was a form of unanimity voting rule that allowed any member of the Sejm (legislature) to force an immediate end to the current session and to nullify any legislation that had already been passed at the session by shouting either Sisto activitatem! or Nie pozwalam!. The rule was in place from the mid-17th century to the late 18th century in the Sejm's parliamentary deliberations. It was based on the premise that since all Polish noblemen were equal, every measure that came before the Sejm had to be passed unanimously. The liberum veto was a key part of the political system of the Commonwealth, strengthening democratic elements and checking royal power and went against the European-wide trend of having a strong executive.

Great Seimas of Vilnius

Great Seimas of Vilnius

The Great Seimas of Vilnius was a major assembly held on December 4 and 5, 1905 in Vilnius, Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, largely inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1905. It was the first modern national congress in Lithuania and dealt primarily not with the social issues that sparked the revolution, but with national concerns. Over 2,000 participants took part in the Seimas. The assembly made the decision to demand wide political autonomy within the Russian Empire and achieve this by peaceful means. It is considered an important step towards the Act of Independence of Lithuania, adopted on February 16, 1918 by the Council of Lithuania, as the Seimas laid the groundwork for the establishment of an independent Lithuanian state.

Constituent Assembly of Lithuania

Constituent Assembly of Lithuania

The Constituent Assembly of Lithuania was the first parliament of the independent state of Lithuania to be elected in a direct, democratic, general, secret election. The Assembly assumed its duties on 15 May 1920 and was disbanded in October 1922.

Kaunas

Kaunas

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Trakai Palatinate since 1413. In the Russian Empire, it was the capital of the Kaunas Governorate from 1843 to 1915.

Interwar period

Interwar period

In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939, the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relatively short, yet featured many significant social, political, and economic changes throughout the world. Petroleum-based energy production and associated mechanisation led to the prosperous Roaring Twenties, a time of both social mobility and economic mobility for the middle class. Automobiles, electric lighting, radio, and more became common among populations in the developed world. The indulgences of the era subsequently were followed by the Great Depression, an unprecedented worldwide economic downturn that severely damaged many of the world's largest economies.

Discover more about Speakers and prime ministers related topics

Kazimira Prunskienė

Kazimira Prunskienė

Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė is a Lithuanian politician who was the first prime minister of Lithuania after the declaration of independence of 11 March 1990, and Minister of Agriculture in the government of Gediminas Kirkilas.

Albertas Šimėnas

Albertas Šimėnas

Albertas Šimėnas was Prime Minister of Lithuania for 3 days, from 10 to 13 January 1991. He disappeared during the January Events and was replaced by Gediminas Vagnorius.

Gediminas Vagnorius

Gediminas Vagnorius

Gediminas Vagnorius is a Lithuanian politician and signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania. He served as the Prime Minister of Lithuania, heading the government between 1991 and 1992, and again from 1996 until 1999.

Aleksandras Abišala

Aleksandras Abišala

Aleksandras Abišala is a former Lithuanian politician and Prime Minister of Lithuania (1992).

Algirdas Brazauskas

Algirdas Brazauskas

Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas was the first President of a newly re-independent post-Soviet Lithuania from 1993 to 1998 and Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006.

Bronislovas Lubys

Bronislovas Lubys

Bronislovas Lubys was a Lithuanian entrepreneur, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, and businessman.

Adolfas Šleževičius

Adolfas Šleževičius

Adolfas Šleževičius was a Lithuanian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1996.

Laurynas Stankevičius

Laurynas Stankevičius

Laurynas Mindaugas Stankevičius was a Lithuanian economist and politician who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Lithuania from February to November 1996. He previously served as the Minister of Social Security and Labour from 1993 to 1994, and after being prime minister, was a member of the Seimas from 1996 to 1998, and later Minister of Health from 1998 to 1999. Formerly a member of the Communist Party of Lithuania, following independence he joined the newly formed Democratic Labour Party.

Rolandas Paksas

Rolandas Paksas

Rolandas Paksas is a Lithuanian politician who was the sixth President of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. He was previously Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001, and he also served as Mayor of Vilnius from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001. He led Order and Justice from 2004 to 2016 and was a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2019.

Andrius Kubilius

Andrius Kubilius

Andrius Kubilius is a Lithuanian politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2019. He served as Prime Minister of Lithuania from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. He was leader of the conservative political party Homeland Union.

Eighth Seimas of Lithuania

Eighth Seimas of Lithuania

The Eighth Seimas of Lithuania was a parliament (Seimas) elected in Lithuania. Elections took place on 8 October 2000. The Seimas commenced its work on 19 October 2000 and served a four-year term, with the last session on 11 November 2004.

Artūras Paulauskas

Artūras Paulauskas

Artūras Paulauskas [ɐrˈtuːrɐs pɐʊˈɫɐ̂ˑʊskɐs] (listen) is a Lithuanian politician. He was the Speaker of Seimas, the parliament of Lithuania, from 2000 to 2006, and he served as Acting President of Lithuania from 6 April 2004 to 12 July 2004.