Lithuanian justice minister backs advisory referendum on constitutional definition of family

Lithuania’s Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė has expressed support for an advisory referendum on enshrining a definition of family in the constitution, stating it would clarify public opinion on the contentious issue, LRT reports.

“When changing fundamental values, it is truly worth asking people what they think,” Tamašunienė told Žinių Radijas on Thursday. She argued that an advisory referendum would “oblige representatives of the nation to assess the views of residents and citizens on this issue before making decisions that fundamentally alter the established value framework.”

The minister said the results would provide guidance for both conservative and liberal policymakers amid ongoing debates over the definition of family. Under the current proposal, voters would be asked whether they support amending the constitution to state that legal family relations arise only from marriage between a man and a woman, as well as motherhood and fatherhood. The ballot would offer a simple “Yes” or “No” choice.

Lithuania’s constitution currently defines family as “the foundation of society and the state,” protected alongside motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood, with marriage described as a “free agreement between a man and a woman.”

The Legal Department of the Seimas (parliament) has warned that the referendum proposal raises “serious doubts” about compliance with constitutional principles, including the rule of law and the supremacy of the constitution. The Constitutional Court has previously ruled that the constitutional concept of family cannot be derived solely from the institution of marriage.

For the advisory referendum to be valid, more than half of eligible voters must participate. Birutė Sabatauskaitė, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson, has stated that the proposed referendum may conflict with Lithuania’s highest legal document.