As Lithuania prepares to vote in a referendum to change its citizenship laws, expat Lithuanian representatives believe it has better chances of succeeding than the previous initiative that failed due to low turnout.
Lithuania held a referendum to change citizenship regulation in the constitution in 2019, but it failed due to low turnout.
This time, however, things are different, believe representatives of the Commission of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian World Community.
“The difference we see from 2019 is the early preparation, ie, the amended Law on Referendum, it has been announced earlier, which gives more time to inform the public. We see working groups both in the Seimas and in the government, action plans are being drawn up and implemented,” Jonas Bružas, chair of the parliamentary commission, told a press conference at the Seimas on Friday.
“I think that the advance work is a major difference, compared to the last referendum, and I very much hope that it will successful,” he added.
The referendum that would allow more people to have multiple citizenships will take place on May 12, alongside the first round of the presidential election. Preparations for the referendum were discussed earlier this week by the Commission of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian World Community.
The commission adopted a resolution proposing that the parliament and the government take measures to promote the referendum, properly fund the campaign, and clarify the number of eligible voters both in Lithuania and abroad.
In order for the referendum to succeed, more than half of all the citizens with the right to vote must endorse the proposal.
Dalia Henke, chair of the World Lithuanian Community, says the big difference from the 2019 referendum is the knowledge that a large part of the public supports the legalisation of multiple citizenship, and political leaders back it too.
Under current regulation, most Lithuanians are not eligible for dual citizenship and lose their Lithuanian passport once they become naturalised in another country.
The Constitutional Court has ruled that only a referendum can remove the prohibition on dual citizenship.
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