Lithuanian prime minister to skip Pride march but stresses court rulings must be enforced

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė will not attend this weekend’s LGBTQ+ Pride march in Vilnius due to a scheduled party council meeting, but emphasised that court decisions on same-sex partnerships must be implemented, LRT reports.

“I have never avoided such events and have often participated,” Ruginienė told lawmakers during the government’s weekly question hour in parliament. “Unfortunately, this Saturday I will not be able to attend because our party council meeting is taking place. But court rulings must be enforced.”

She confirmed discussions with Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska on the matter, noting that appeals procedures are still underway. Ruginienė urged the parliament (Seimas) to adopt a dedicated law establishing a legal framework for gender-neutral partnerships, including a formal registry.

The theme of this year’s Pride march, set for Saturday, is “All families in Lithuania matter.”

Court fines and ongoing legal battles

Last week, the Liberal Movement party announced that 14 same-sex couples had filed complaints with bailiffs after the Justice Ministry refused to enforce court orders to register their partnerships. A district court has already imposed a daily fine of €10 per person on the ministry for each day it fails to comply.

Justice Minister Dobrowolska stated the ministry plans to appeal the fine, arguing that implementing the rulings is complex due to their varied institutional targets. She stressed the need for clearer legislation, as the ministry cannot assume functions belonging to parliament.

The ministry has appealed four separate court decisions ordering it to register same-sex partnerships. In response, the Tolerant Youth Association plans a protest outside the ministry this weekend, displaying pink triangles—the symbol used to mark homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps.

Constitutional Court ruling remains unaddressed

Last April, Lithuania’s Constitutional Court ruled that the lack of legal recognition for same-sex partnerships violates the constitution. It also struck down a Civil Code provision restricting partnerships to opposite-sex couples only.

While the Civil Code allows for cohabitation agreements outside marriage, it specifies that partnerships should be governed by a separate law—one that parliament has failed to adopt for over two decades. The Constitutional Court deemed this inaction discriminatory and intolerable.

Courts currently permit gender-neutral partnerships to be registered on a case-by-case basis, but advocates argue a permanent legal framework is needed.