The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, has given initial backing to a bill that would oblige foreign workers and companies employing them to serve clients in Lithuanian.
The amendments were supported by 100 MPs, five voted against and 14 abstained. To become law, the bill requires one more vote in the Seimas.
Conservative MP Dalia Asanavičiūtė, who authored the bill, said that the obligation to know Lithuanian would only apply to employees who have direct contact with clients.
The bill says that manufacturers, sellers and service providers must provide consumers with key information about goods and services and label them in the official language.
Exemptions would apply where the requirement to speak Lithuanian is an “unreasonable restriction on the right to work”.
Vilius Semeška, a conservative MP who called for a vote in favour of the bill, said that many foreigners who come to the country are making an effort to learn the Lithuanian language and integrate.
“However, there are some people who are not even willing to learn the official language, because they think that they have come just to make some money, to have a good time and that they will not need to learn the language. Therefore, this bill is also a question of respect for the official language,” he said.
Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, who spoke against the amendments, pointed out that the new law would mean that “an Estonian selling sweets at a fair would have to speak the national language”.
“A Ukrainian woman in Lithuania selling vyshyvankas and serving clients in English would be fined, and this applies not only to languages of third countries, but also to the languages of the European Union,” she noted.
Rytis Jokubauskas, vice-president of the Consumer Alliance, told LRT RADIO earlier on Thursday that the requirement to speak Lithuanian was not necessary and that there were not many consumer complaints about miscommunication.
Seimas Ombudswoman Jolita Miliuvienė argued, meanwhile, that under current regulations, companies in retail and services are obliged to ensure that their clients are serviced in Lithuanian, but the requirement does not apply to self-employed workers.
If the bill is adopted, the new rules would enter into force in January 2026.
According to the Migration Department, the number of foreigners living in Lithuania exceeded 200,000 for the first time last year.
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