Lithuania’s cultural community is staging a rally in central Vilnius on Friday expressing alarm over what organisers describe as mounting threats to democratic institutions and the country’s political stability.
The demonstration, titled “What kind of state do we want?”, caps a month of protests sparked by the ruling coalition’s earlier decision to hand the Culture Ministry to the Nemunas Dawn party. The group, led by Remigijus Žemaitaitis, has been widely criticised by cultural figures and civic groups.
In a statement, the Cultural Assembly accused Nemunas Dawn of promoting “anti-democratic, anti-Semitic, anti-European, pro-Russian” positions and pursuing a “parallel foreign policy” that endangers national security and Lithuania’s international reputation.
It also criticised the Social Democrats for including Nemunas Dawn in the ruling coalition, saying “open, brazen, repeated lies have become an integral part of the party”.
Organisers said they have lost confidence in the ruling coalition’s ability to safeguard not only the Culture Ministry but also key democratic institutions. They added that President Gitanas Nausėda “no longer has any influence or power to shape Lithuania’s political landscape” and is not defending institutions “under attack”.
Culture Minister Vaida Aleknavičienė told reporters she would meet participants and said she hoped the gathering would mark “a new beginning”. A member of the Social Democrats, she has pledged that no Nemunas Dawn nominees will hold leadership roles within the ministry.
The protests began after Nausėda appointed Ignotas Adomavičius, a Nemunas Dawn member with no cultural background, as culture minister. He resigned after one week in office. A nationwide protest action on October 5 mobilised hundreds of cultural institutions and thousands of people who warned that Nemunas Dawn influence posed risks to free speech, anti-disinformation efforts and broader democratic values.
The Social Democrats have since taken control of the ministry and appointed Aleknavičienė as its head.
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