Freedom and Justice

For other political parties with similar names, see Freedom and Justice Party (disambiguation).
Freedom and Justice
Laisvė ir teisingumas
AbbreviationPLT
LeaderArtūras Zuokas
FounderArtūras Zuokas
Founded12 July 2014 (2014-07-12) (as the Lithuanian Freedom Union)
6 June 2020 (as Freedom and Justice)
Merger ofLiCS, YES (2014)
Order and Justice, Movement Forward, Lithuania (2020)
HeadquartersVilnius
Membership4,569 (2022)
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right[6] to right-wing[3]
ColoursSelective yellow and Persian blue
Seimas
1 / 141
European Parliament
0 / 11
Municipal councils
55 / 1,498
Mayors
2 / 60
Website
laisve-teisingumas.lt
Logo of the party before its merger with Order and Justice

Freedom and Justice (Lithuanian: Laisvė ir Teisingumas, PLT), known until 6 June 2020 as the Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals) (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Laisvės Sąjunga (Liberalai)), is a conservative-liberal political party in Lithuania. It holds soft eurosceptic views.[7]

History

The party was originally founded on 12 July 2014, when the Liberal and Centre Union (LiCS) merged with YES.[8][9][10] YES leader Artūras Zuokas became a leader of newly formed party.

In the 2015 Lithuanian municipal election, the party won 4.91 per cent of votes. Its best performance was in northeast of Lithuania. In the 2016 Lithuanian parliamentary election, the party won 2.16 per cent of votes in multi-member constituency.

After poor results of 2019 European Parliament elections, Lithuanian Freedom Union (Liberals), Order and Justice and public election committee "Strong Lithuania in United Europe" started negotiations.[11]

In June 2020, Order and Justice and former MP Arturas Paulauskas' movement "Forward, Lithuania" merged into the party (combining with Artūras Zuokas–led party) and the new movement was renamed to Freedom and Justice. The party was affiliated with ALDE until its merger in 2020.

MPs from Order and Justice, Remigijus Žemaitaitis and Kęstutis Bartkevičius became Freedom and Justice' representatives in the Seimas. In 2020 Lithuanian parliamentary election only Remigijus Žemaitaitis retained his seat. In 2021, Žemaitaitis joined the Lithuanian Regions Parliamentary Group.[12]

On 19 May 2023, Freedom and Justice terminated Remigijus Žemaitaitis membership in the party due to controversial antisemitic comments.

The party managed to regain representation in Seimas after 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election, when party's leader Artūras Zuokas took single member constituency in Vilnius.[13]

Ideology

The party has a conservative-liberal,[1] centre-right profile and is supportive of both the European Union and NATO. The party is in favour of allowing civil unions for same-sex couples. After it merger with Order and Justice in 2020, the party adopts soft eurosceptic stance on European integration.[7]

The party is economically liberal. It supports the privatization of parts of the health care sector and opposes the establishment of a national development bank. The party favours giving tax incentives to companies that hire seniors and opposes progressive taxation. Instead, it wants to lower value-added taxes.[14]

Election results

Seimas

Election Leader Votes[a] % Seats +/– Government
2016 Artūras Zuokas 27,274 2.23 (#9)
0 / 141
 New Extra-parliamentary
2020 Remigijus Žemaitaitis 23,355 2.06 (#11)
1 / 141
 Increase 1 Opposition
2024 Artūras Zuokas 9,367 0.77 (#14)
1 / 141
 Steady Opposition
  1. ^ Proportional representation votes.

European Parliament

Election List leader Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2019 Artūras Zuokas 24,143 1.92 (#14)
0 / 11
 New –
2024 Artūras Paulauskas 8,458 1.25 (#15)
0 / 11
 Steady 0

References

  1. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2020). "Lithuania". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Zuokas, Žemaitaitis and Paulauskas founded a new party and expect several dozen seats at the Seimas". Tricksfast. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Litauen vor der Parlamentswahl - Spannungsarmer Wahlkampf im Schatten von Covid". Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. ^ [1][2][3]
  5. ^ "Wenn am nächsten Sonntag Europawahl wäre (März 2022): Aufstieg der Newcomer". foederalist.eu. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  6. ^ Šuliokas, Justinas (20 September 2020). "Who's who in Lithuania's 2020 parliamentary election – explainer". LRT. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Lithuania".
  8. ^ "Jungiasi politinė partija "Sąjunga TAIP" ir Liberalų ir centro sąjunga". YES. May 15, 2014. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  9. ^ ""TAIP" ir LiCS suvažiavime įkurta Lietuvos laisvės sąjunga". Lietuvos rytas. July 12, 2014. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  10. ^ "Lietuvoje įkurta nauja partija". Delfi. July 12, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  11. ^ "R.Žemaitaitis, A.Zuokas ir A.Paulauskas jungiasi: Laukite, mes jus dar nustebinsime".
  12. ^ "Seime įkurta Lietuvos regionų frakcija - Naujienos".
  13. ^ https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/2399856/perskaiciavus-balsus-naujininku-rasu-apygardoje-nugaletoju-liko-zuokas
  14. ^ "Europe Elects: Laisvė ir Teisingumas Freedom and Justice Lithuania, Parliament Election 2020". YouTube. 11 October 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.