Lithuanian desovietization commission head hopes for continuation despite term end

The outgoing head of Lithuania’s desovietization commission, Vitas Karčiauskas, has expressed hope that parliament will form a new body to continue its work after the current term expires on June 1, state news agency BNS reports.

Karčiauskas told BNS that under existing law, the Seimas (parliament) is legally obligated to establish a new commission, warning that failure to do so would create a “legal gap.”

“The Seimas should abide by its own laws,” he said. “We’ll see which faction prevails in the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party: the European-minded social democrats or the communists and Stalinists.”

The commission, tasked with evaluating public spaces for remnants of totalitarian and authoritarian regime propaganda, was formed after Lithuania’s 2023 law banning such symbols. Its recommendations—including the removal of Soviet-era street names and monuments—have faced resistance from some municipalities.

Last June, social democrat lawmakers proposed dissolving the commission and shifting decision-making to local governments. In protest, all nine members—including historians, heritage experts, and a representative of political prisoners—resigned, though Karčiauskas noted their resignations were never formally processed.

Karčiauskas claimed the commission’s work stalled after it began examining Soviet soldier burials in town centers, which he described as ideological propaganda. He accused parliament of ignoring the commission entirely, stating, “We were not forgotten—this was a deliberate choice.”

The original 2023 law requires the removal of totalitarian symbols from public spaces, including monuments, street names, and other Soviet-era markers.