Lithuanian human rights groups urge EU to block constitutional referendum on family definition

Four Lithuanian human rights organisations have called on the European Commission to intervene against a proposed constitutional referendum that would redefine the legal concept of family to exclude same-sex partnerships, LRT reports.

The groups—including the Lithuanian Youth Centre, LGBTQ+ news portal GayLine.LT, the Tolerant Youth Association, and the national LGBTIQA+ rights organisation LGL—warned in a letter that the initiative violates EU treaties and the European Convention on Human Rights. They urged Brussels to “take urgent steps to block this democracy-undermining proposal,” citing legal opinions from Lithuania’s Seimas Legal Department that flagged “serious doubts” over its compliance with constitutional principles.

Martynas Norbutas, director of the Lithuanian Youth Centre, stated that the referendum question “seeks to legalise discrimination by dividing families into those worthy of recognition and those not.” He compared the move to “Russia’s path,” where laws first marginalise groups before repression begins, adding: “This has nothing to do with international law.”

The organisations highlighted rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and EU case law, which recognise diverse family forms, including same-sex couples. They demanded the Commission assess the proposal’s alignment with EU law and fundamental values, engage in immediate dialogue with Lithuanian authorities, and take all possible measures to prevent potential human rights violations.

Last week, 63 Seimas members backed the initiative, which would ask voters in a 2027 advisory referendum—held alongside municipal elections—whether the Constitution should explicitly state that family rights arise “only from marriage between a man and a woman, motherhood, and fatherhood.” Currently, Article 38 defines the family as the foundation of society and state protection but does not restrict its form. A binding result requires turnout above 50% of eligible voters.

The Constitutional Court has previously ruled that Lithuania’s constitutional definition of family cannot be derived solely from the institution of marriage.