Liberal Movement (Lithuania)
The Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania[4][5][6][7] (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos Liberalų sąjūdis), abbreviated to LRLS, is a conservative-liberal[2] political party in Lithuania, the fourth most successful political party in 2016 parliamentary election.[8]
Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania Lietuvos Respublikos Liberalų sąjūdis | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | LRLS |
| Chairman | Eugenijus Gentvilas |
| First Vice Chairman | Vitalijus Gailius |
| Vice Chairpeople | Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen Edita Rudelienė Simonas Kairys Ričardas Juška |
| Executive Secretary | Dainius Petravičius |
| Founded | 25 February 2006 |
| Split from | Liberal and Centre Union |
| Headquarters | Vašingtono a. 1, Vilnius |
| Membership | 7,722 (1 October 2018)[1] |
| Ideology | Classical liberalism Conservative liberalism[2] Liberalism[3] Pro-Europeanism |
| Political position | Centre-right[4][5] |
| European affiliation | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe |
| European Parliament group | Renew Europe |
| Colours | Orange |
| Seimas | 10 / 141
|
| European Parliament | 1 / 11
|
| Municipal councils | 217 / 1,473
|
| Mayors | 8 / 60
|
| Website | |
| www | |
History
The party was founded in 2006 by dissident members of the Liberal and Centre Union that were unhappy with Artūras Zuokas's leadership.
In the legislative elections of 2008, the first elections LRLS has ever taken part in, it gained 11 seats in the Seimas and 5.72 percent of the national vote. The LRLS formed a coalition with the Homeland Union, the Liberal and Centre Union, and the National Resurrection Party. This coalition gained a combined governmental majority of 80 out of 141 seats in the Seimas, led by Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius of the Homeland Union. At the subsequent elections of 2012, the party lost one seat to finish with 10 seats in the Seimas and 8.57 percent of the national vote.
After the party's leader Eligijus Masiulis allegedly took a bribe of 106,000 euros, Antanas Guoga temporarily took his position on May 13, 2016.[9] He was the chairman for four days only before resigning. Today the chairman of the party is the long-term member of Seimas Eugenijus Gentvilas who won the leadership elections by one vote on December 8, 2017.[10]
The corruption case of Eligijus Masiulis is still ongoing. He claims that the money was a loan he received from a local businessman.[11] The party has denied any connection to the seized money.
Members of the European Parliament
| Parliamentarian | Occupation | From |
|---|---|---|
| Petras Auštrevičius | Diplomat | 2014 |
Members of Seimas[12]
| Parliamentarian | Previous mandate | Current mandate from | Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgilijus Alekna | - | 2016 | Nationwide |
| Juozas Baublys | - | 2016 | Varėna-Trakai |
| Viktorija Čmilytė | - | 2015 | Nationwide |
| Vitalijus Gailius | - | 2012 | Pakruojis-Joniškis |
| Arūnas Gelūnas | - | 2016 | Nationwide |
| Eugenijus Gentvilas | 1990–1992 | 2012 | Nationwide |
| Simonas Gentvilas | - | 2016 | Nationwide |
| Kęstutis Glaveckas | 1990–1992 | 1996 | Nationwide |
| Ričardas Juška | - | 2016 | Jurbarkas-Pagėgiai |
| Jonas Liesys | 2008–2012 | 2016 | Trakai-Vievis |
| Gintaras Vaičekauskas | - | 2016 | Pajūrio (Klaipėda) |
| Jonas Varkalys | - | 2016 | Plungė |
Mayors[13]
| Mayor | Municipality |
|---|---|
| Gediminas Čepulis | Joniškio rajonas |
| Antanas Černeckis | Rietavas |
| Saulius Grinkevičius | Kėdainiai |
| Algis Kašėta | Varėnos rajonas |
| Audrius Klišonis | Plungės rajonas |
| Sigitas Mičiulis | Tauragės rajonas |
| Edita Rudelienė | Trakų rajonas |
| Kęstutis Vaitukaitis | Elektrėnų rajonas |
Vice-mayors[13]
| Vice-mayor | Municipality |
|---|---|
| Jonas Eugenijus Bačinskas | Rietavas |
| Kęstutis Bagdanavičius | Kalvarijos |
| Simonas Kairys | Kaunas |
| Algis Mačiulis | Šiaulių rajonas |
| Apolinaras Nicius | Akmenės rajonas |
| Danutė Skruibienė | Kretingos rajonas |
| Judita Simonavičiūtė | Klaipėda |
| Valdas Petras Mikelionis | Lazdijų rajonas |
| Artūras Šulcas | Klaipėdos rajonas |
Footnotes
- Ministry of Justice (Lithuania) (1 October 2018). "Lietuvos Respublikos politinių partijų sąrašas" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- Slomp, Hans (26 September 2011). Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 536. ISBN 978-0-313-39182-8.
- Nordsieck, Wolfram (2016). "Lithuania". Parties and Elections in Europe.
- The New York Times (27 October 2008). "Center-Right to Form Lithuanian Coalition". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- Adomaitis, Nerijus (26 October 2008). "Lithuanian Centre-Right Wins Vote as Slowdown Looms". Reuters. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- Seputyte, Milda (26 October 2008). "Lithuanian Homeland Union Secures Victory in Election Run-Off". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- The Economist (11 March 2009). "Lithuania: Political Structure". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- BNS (30 October 2016). "VRK officialiai patvirtino Seimo rinkimų rezultatus". Delfi. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- Antanavičius, Ugnius (13 May 2016). "Pokerio žaidėjas, tapęs liberalų vedliu: įdomiausi A.Guogos biografijos faktai". 15min.lt. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- Želnienė, Liepa (9 December 2017). "Liberalų sąjūdžio pirmininku vieno balso persvara išrinktas E.Gentvilas". 15min.lt. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- Noreika, Matas (18 April 2018). "Eligijus Masiulis: aš grąžinau Raimondui Kurlianskiui paskolą". Verslo žinios. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "Liberals Movement Political Group". Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
- "Merai ir vicemerai". Lietuvos Respublikos Liberalų sąjūdis. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
External links
- (in Lithuanian) Liberal Movement official website
- (in Lithuanian)
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