Seimas

Seimas
14th Seimas
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1445 (historical)
22 August 1922; 102 years ago (1922-08-22)
Disbanded1940–1991
Leadership
Saulius Skvernelis, DSVL
since 14 November 2024
First Deputy Speaker
Juozas Olekas, LSDP
since 14 November 2024
Other Deputy Speakers
Rasa Budbergytė, LSDP
since 14 November 2024
Orinta Leiputė, LSDP
since 14 November 2024
Agnė Širinskienė, PPNA
since 14 November 2024
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, LS
since 14 November 2024
Leader of the Opposition
Vacant
Structure
Seats141
Political groups
Government (86)
  •   Social Democrats (52)
  •   Dawn of Nemunas (20)
  •   Democrats "For Lithuania" (14)

Opposition (55)

Elections
Parallel voting; 70 party-list seats with a 5% threshold (7% for alliances) and 71 runoff seats
Last election
13 and 27 October 2024
Next election
On or before October 2028
RedistrictingEvery four years
Meeting place
Seimas Palace, Vilnius
Website
www.lrs.lt

The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas), or simply the Seimas (Lithuanian: [sɛɪˑmɐs]), is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Lithuania. The Seimas constitutes the legislative branch of government in Lithuania, enacting laws and amendments to the Constitution, passing the budget, confirming the Prime Minister and the Government and controlling their activities.

Its 141 members are elected for a four-year term, with 71 elected in individual constituencies, and 70 elected in a nationwide vote based on open list proportional representation.[1] A party must receive at least 5%, and a multi-party union at least 7%, of the national vote to qualify for the proportional representation seats.

Following the elections in 2024, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania is the largest party in the Seimas, signing an agreement to form a coalition government with the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" and the Dawn of Nemunas.[2]

The Seimas traces its origins to the Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as well as the Seimas of inter-war Lithuania. The first Seimas after the restoration of independence of Lithuania convened in 1992.

  1. ^ "I-2721 Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo rinkimų įstatymas".
  2. ^ "Social Democrats invite two parties to form Lithuania's ruling coalition". lrt.lt. 7 November 2024.