On Thursday, the Lithuanian parliament Seimas granted state recognition to Romuva, a religious association that practices an ancient Baltic pagan faith.
Sixty-four lawmakers voted in favour of the proposal, eight were against, and ten abstained.
“In Lithuania, people of different nationalities and religions have coexisted for a long time, and everyone has been able to practice what they want. I invite you to support this motion and finally resolve the Romuva issue,” Social Democrat MP Jūratė Zailskienė told her fellow lawmakers.
With state recognition, Romuva will be entitled to a land tax exemption, its priests will be covered by social insurance, and its marriages will be treated the same as those conducted in civil registration offices.
In September 2023, the Seimas rejected a proposal to grant Romuva state recognition but declined to consider an alternative draft resolution that would have formally denied that status.
Earlier this year, the ancient Baltic religious association turned to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for the second time, expressing concern about the parliament’s failure to respond to the court’s previous interpretations, and the denial of recognition.
In 2021, the ECHR ruled that the parliament’s refusal to grant Romuva state recognition violated certain provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Romuva first sought state recognition from the parliament in 2017. After failing to obtain that status, the association appealed to the ECHR in 2019.
Some 5,100 people identified themselves as belonging to the old Baltic faith in 2011, up from 1,200 in the 2001 census.
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