Lithuania: Not enough votes in parliament for civil union law

Lithuania’s ruling coalition has failed to secure enough votes to pass the law on civil union, Ausrine Armonaite, chairwoman of the Freedom Party, conceded, BNS reports. She said that legalising same-sex unions did not receive sufficient support from Freedom Party’s coalition partners, Homeland Union (TS-LKD) and the Lithuanian Liberal Movement (LLS). Armonaite estimated that 66 or 67 MPs would vote for the bill, which is short of the 71 votes needed in the parliament, the Seimas. Meanwhile, Seimas speaker, LLS chairwoman Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, said that the civil union bill needed a “solid majority” in the parliament, given that it might have to overturn a presidential veto, BNS reported. She criticised the Freedom Party for linking the law too closely to the party. The bill passed a second vote in the Seimas in May 2023.