Lithuania’s conservatives have proposed banning Russian passport holders from serving as founders, members or donors of political parties. The bill, drafted by the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TSLKD), the country’s largest opposition party, would also require political parties to disclose members with multiple citizenships.
The authors argue that nationals from Russia, Belarus and China, which are designated as “hostile states” by the Lithuanian government, pose a security threat.
“Citizens of hostile states, particularly those connected to Russian oligarchs, may exert influence through political parties,” said bill co-author Dalia Asanaviciute, according to LReadNOW. She claimed that “Russia allocates significant resources to interfere in democratic and political processes globally, with a focus on our region.”
According to LReadNOW, the bill was prompted by a report stating that Alvydas Brusokas, co-founder and donor of the Dawn of Nemunas party, holds dual Lithuanian-Russian citizenship.
For centuries, Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire, and between 1940 and 1991, it was a republic within the Soviet Union. Ethnic Russians make up around 5% of the country’s population of 2.89 million. Around 14,500 Russian citizens have residency permits in Lithuania, some of whom left Russia for political reasons.
As one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine, Lithuania has been at the forefront of demanding tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Earlier this year, the country passed a law allowing the revocation of residency for people who frequently travel to Russia or Belarus “without objective reasons.” Conservatives also called for an amendment allowing the stripping of Lithuanian citizenship for supporting Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.
Moscow has described Lithuania’s attempts to portray Russia as a threat as “incitement of Russophobia.”
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