Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has revealed in a book coming out in February that he does not support the passing of the Civil Union Law.
This is the first time that Nausėda has expressed a clear position on a bill being discussed in the Seimas. He has previously said that he would support such a bill if it did not contradict the constitutional concept of family.
“If we want to address the issue of same-sex relationships, we need to address it in other ways. Not through the family or a unit, which de facto becomes an analogy of the family, and this is what the Civil Union Law is intended to establish, but through, for example, the institution of a close relationship. This would naturally solve the problems that currently exist,” the head of that said in a book President Gitanas Nausėda: Up Close by Laima Lavaste.
Article 38 of the Lithuanian constitution states that “the family is the foundation of society and the state” and that “marriage is formed by the free consent of a man and a woman”.
In the upcoming book, Nausėda said he sees attempts to broaden the concept of the family formed through marriage to be a violation of this article.
“This is being done even with the help of some ‘experts’ in constitutional law, who are using the constitution as they see fit,” the president said.
He also said that he has seen efforts to kill and “put in a drawer” the bill on “close relationship”.
The Constitutional Court has ruled that “the constitutional concept of the family cannot be derived solely from the institution of marriage”. It has also argued that the family is based on the “content of the relationship” and that the form is “of no fundamental importance”.
According to Nausėda, those raising the issue of the adoption of the Civil Union Law consider “article 38 of our constitution to be an empty place”.
“This is unacceptable to me as the president of Lithuania, one of whose most important duties is to respect our fundamental law – the constitution. In other countries where same-sex marriage is legalised, constitutions have been amended or have not been interfered with,” the president said in the book.
“Because of these values, I have naturally come under attack from certain politicians and groups. But I do not dwell on this. I travel around Lithuania a lot, I talk to people, and I often hear from them: ‘Thank you, president, for defending family values.’ No one could accuse me of selling out my values,” he added.
The bill, which would allow both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to register civil partnerships, was drafted by the previous parliament and passed the first vote by a slim margin. It is one vote short of being passed but has so far not had majority support.
A proposal by conservative MP Paulius Saudargas to introduce the concept of “close relationship” and regulate the health care system through it has also passed the initial stage in the Seimas.
The book President Gitanas Nausėda: Up Close will be presented during the Vilnius Book Fair, which starts on February 27.
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