Liberal Leader Calls Vilnius Mayor’s Mandatory Lithuanian Language Initiative an Election “Show”

Chairwoman of the opposition Liberal Movement Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen criticized Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas over his initiative to require foreigners to know Lithuanian, calling it a publicity stunt. This was reported by Kauno diena, citing BNS.

“I believe that migration and integration issues are not solved through demonstrative shows. This step by the mayor… it is impossible to shake the impression that this is simply the beginning of an election campaign, considering which issue irritates city residents the most,” she said on Friday on Žinių radijas.

“Vilnius truly needs not political games, but a clear system so that, on the one hand, people arriving here know what rules they must follow, and on the other hand, city residents feel that the situation is under control,” the politician added.

According to Cmilyte-Nielsen, it is unrealistic to expect foreigners who come to Lithuania for only a few seasons to learn Lithuanian. At the same time, for those planning to remain in the country long term, not knowing the state language should create difficulties.

“First of all, not knowing Lithuanian should be very inconvenient for the person themselves and for their family. There must be both opportunities and offers, a Lithuanian language learning network, and, on the other hand, the individual’s own motivation to learn it,” she said.

“Returning to the mayor’s ‘show,’ I believe it will neither solve the problem nor produce any effect. I would very much like to see more serious action and solidity from the mayor of the capital,” she added.

Earlier this week, Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas began collecting signatures for a petition calling for residence permits in Lithuania to be linked to proven knowledge of the Lithuanian language. The initiative proposes amendments to legislation requiring non-EU citizens, when renewing temporary residence permits after three years of residence, to demonstrate Lithuanian language proficiency at no lower than A2 level. Currently, no such requirement exists, which, according to the mayor, deprives foreigners of real incentives to learn the language.

According to the Migration Department, around 185,000 foreigners currently hold temporary residence permits in Lithuania.