A new political season kicked off in Lithuania on Sunday as the Seimas convened for its fall session.
Seimas Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen warned on Sunday that populist rhetoric would grow louder in the political field ahead of next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
“As the elections approach, populist rhetoric will increase inevitably, and we must be prepared for that. While populism is, to some extent, a natural part of democracy, it should be recognised and avoided when building a sustainable welfare society based on the principle of inclusive security,” she said at the Seimas session.
One of the most important tasks for the Seimas in the fall will be the adoption of the 2024 budget.
The parliament will also focus on healthcare, education, national security, and defence. Meanwhile, the liberal partners of the ruling coalition hope to pass the gender-neutral civil union bill.
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A draft program of work for the fall session, built on proposals from the president, the government, parliamentary committees, and political groups, was submitted to MPs on Sunday.
On the occasion of the opening of the Seimas fall session, President Gitanas Nausėda urged parliament members to continue paying attention to national security.
“It is important not to waste a serious approach to the country’s national security in the last year of the political cycle, which is why it is important to take decisions on Lithuania’s defence industry, crimes against the state, as well as restrictions on the citizens of unfriendly countries,” he said in a speech read out to the MPs by his advisor Paulius Baltokas.
According to Nausėda, next year’s state budget “must not only be socially sensitive, in line with obligations but also ensure the country’s security”.
The president also called on MPs to take up the bills he had tabled to increase the salaries of prosecutors, introduce an additional amount of non-taxable income for families, and others.
According to the schedule approved by the Board of the Seimas, more than 45 plenary sittings are scheduled to take place during the fall session from September 10 to December 23. Of these, three will be devoted to the agendas of opposition groups.
According to the Constitution, the Seimas holds two sessions a year – in spring and in fall.
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