On Friday, Lthuanian President Gitanas Nausėda signed a bill recognising Vytautas Landsbergis as the country's first post-independence leader into law.
On June 30, the parliament voted to recognise Landsbergis, chair of Lithuania’s Supreme Council in 1990–1992, as the head of state. The ruling bloc in the parliament is dominated by the conservative Homeland Union (TS-LKD), a party founded by Landsbergis.
Read more: Parliament grants head-of-state status to Lithuania’s first post-independence leader
Under Landsbergis’ leadership, the Supreme Council declared Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990. In Lithuania, the head of state is considered the president. However, the country only established the post with a new constitution in 1992.
The signing of the bill into law marks the end of an impasse, which centred on historical divisions between the conservative Homeland Union and other parties. Previous attempts to grant the head-of-state status to Landsbergis had failed after mobilising voters and lawmakers on both sides of the political divide.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
