Political Rights | 38 / 40 |
Civil Liberties | 51 / 60 |
Lithuania is a democracy in which political rights and civil liberties are generally respected. Chronic problems including corruption and socioeconomic inequality often arouse public dissatisfaction with the government, political parties, and other institutions. Women, LGBT+ people, members of the Romany, Jewish, Muslim, Russian, and Polish minorities, and some other groups experience varying degrees of discrimination and underrepresentation in politics.
- Centrist independent candidate Gitanas Nausėda was reelected to a second term as president in May, securing 75 percent of the vote in a runoff against Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, who was nominated by the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD). The election was held in accordance with democratic standards, and stakeholders accepted the results.
- Elections to the unicameral, 141-seat Seimas were held in October. The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) emerged as the winner, securing 52 seats, followed by the TS-LKD, which took 28 (down from the 50 it won in the last elections). The newly formed political party Nemuno Aušra (Dawn of Nemunas, or PPNA), placed third, winning 20 seats; smaller parties and several independent candidates won the remaining seats. The Seimas elections were held in accordance with democratic standards, and stakeholders accepted the results.
- In November, a coalition government headed by the LSDP and including PPNA and the Union of Democrats “For Lithuania” (DSVL) was formed, with LSDP representative Gintautas Paluckas assuming office as prime minister.
- In December, the Constitutional Court struck down a law prohibiting minors from accessing information that “denigrates family values and promotes a different concept of marriage and family formation” from that enshrined in the Constitution and civil code. (Both documents define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.) The court found that the law violated Article 25 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the right to seek, receive, and share information, as well as Article 38, which upholds the family as the foundation of society and protects family, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood.
This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.
For additional background information, see last year’s full report.
Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? | 4 / 4 |
Were the current national legislative representatives elected through free and fair elections? | 4 / 4 |
Are the electoral laws and framework fair, and are they implemented impartially by the relevant election management bodies? | 4 / 4 |
Do the people have the right to organize in different political parties or other competitive political groupings of their choice, and is the system free of undue obstacles to the rise and fall of these competing parties or groupings? | 4 / 4 |
Is there a realistic opportunity for the opposition to increase its support or gain power through elections? | 4 / 4 |
Are the people’s political choices free from domination by forces that are external to the political sphere, or by political forces that employ extrapolitical means? | 4 / 4 |
Do various segments of the population (including ethnic, racial, religious, gender, LGBT+, and other relevant groups) have full political rights and electoral opportunities? | 4 / 4 |
Do the freely elected head of government and national legislative representatives determine the policies of the government? | 4 / 4 |
Are safeguards against official corruption strong and effective? | 3 / 4 |
Does the government operate with openness and transparency? | 3 / 4 |
Are there free and independent media? | 3 / 4 |
Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? | 4 / 4 |
Is there academic freedom, and is the educational system free from extensive political indoctrination? | 4 / 4 |
Are individuals free to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution? | 4 / 4 |
Is there freedom of assembly? | 4 / 4 |
Is there freedom for nongovernmental organizations, particularly those that are engaged in human rights– and governance-related work? | 4 / 4 |
Is there freedom for trade unions and similar professional or labor organizations? | 3 / 4 |
Is there an independent judiciary? | 3 / 4 |
Does due process prevail in civil and criminal matters? | 3 / 4 |
Is there protection from the illegitimate use of physical force and freedom from war and insurgencies? | 3 / 4 |
Do laws, policies, and practices guarantee equal treatment of various segments of the population? | 2 / 4 |
Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement, including the ability to change their place of residence, employment, or education? | 4 / 4 |
Are individuals able to exercise the right to own property and establish private businesses without undue interference from state or nonstate actors? | 4 / 4 |
Do individuals enjoy personal social freedoms, including choice of marriage partner and size of family, protection from domestic violence, and control over appearance? | 3 / 4 |
Do individuals enjoy equality of opportunity and freedom from economic exploitation? | 3 / 4 |