A petition initiated by the mayor of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Valdas Benkunskas, on stricter language rules for foreigners has collected more than 22,500 signatures, BNS reports. Under the proposal, non-EU residents would be required to have at least A2-level proficiency in Lithuanian after three years of residence. Earlier, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic argued that Lithuanian language requirements should not apply to all foreigners, BNS reported. He said that the rules should primarily apply to those living in Lithuania long term and those working in customer service. Meanwhile, MP Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, leader of the opposition Lithuanian Liberal Movement, labelled Benkunskas’s proposal as an electoral “show performance” for voters, BNS reported. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, she said that it was unrealistic to expect foreigners working in Lithuania for short seasons to learn Lithuanian. Under current rules, foreigners working in customer service are required to have at least A1-level proficiency in Lithuanian and at least A2-level proficiency after two years.
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