The opposition Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) have urged the ruling Social Democrats to abandon plans to abolish the national Desovietisation Commission and hand full responsibility for removing Soviet-era names and monuments to local authorities.
In a statement issued by the party’s Council on Saturday, the conservatives warned that the proposal would effectively halt Lithuania’s decommunisation process.
“Such a decision would weaken Lithuania’s resilience and leave the public sphere in a state of uncertainty, creating conditions in which aggressive ‘Russian World’ narratives could take deeper root,” the statement said.
“This would make the country more vulnerable to information attacks and historical distortion, and would undermine national security. We call on the ruling bloc not to halt the removal of symbols of totalitarian occupation regimes, to renew the expert commission, and to rely on the accumulated expertise of historians, cultural and art scholars, heritage specialists and other experts,” it added.
According to the TS-LKD, desovietisation remains essential for reducing the influence of lingering Soviet attitudes, strengthening Lithuanian historical identity, and honouring those who resisted Soviet rule.
“We call for respect for the more than half a million victims of Soviet genocide in Lithuania – freedom fighters, participants in armed and unarmed resistance, deportees, political prisoners, rescuers of Jews, and the 200,000 Lithuanian citizens murdered during the Holocaust,” the TS-LKD Council said.
In November, MPs backed draft legislation to abolish the Desovietisation Commission and transfer responsibility to municipalities. Under the proposal, local authorities would be tasked with identifying public objects that promote totalitarian or authoritarian regimes, examining requests from residents and organisations, and making decisions within six months.
If additional historical or archival information were needed, municipalities would be able to turn to the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania for an expert assessment.
If approved, the new system would make the Desovietisation Commission redundant, and the parliamentary resolution establishing it would be annulled.
In May 2023, Lithuania’s ban on the promotion of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes came into force, requiring Soviet-era monuments, street names and other public symbols to be removed from public spaces.
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