Proposal to obligate military chief to secure government buildings under martial law

A proposal has been registered in Lithuania to obligate the chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to ensure the security and armed defence of the Seimas, government buildings, and the presidential residence in the event of martial law, LRT reports.

The amendments to the Martial Law Statute, submitted by Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas, aim to guarantee the highest state institutions’ security and continuity of operations. If these institutions cannot convene in their usual locations, the military chief would also be tasked with securing temporary workplaces for them.

The proposed regulation seeks to prevent interruptions in the functioning of state institutions and protect them from sabotage or direct military actions. Currently, no law explicitly mandates the armed forces to defend these sites during martial law.

Olekas noted that while the State Security Department handles protection in peacetime, defence responsibilities shift to the military during wartime. The lack of clear legal provisions could lead to duplication of efforts, coordination issues, or delays in tactical decisions, posing a direct threat to state governance continuity.

Additional amendments to the Mobilisation and Host Nation Support Law propose clarifying the definition of “vital state functions” to explicitly include national defence and the operations of the president, Seimas, and government. Disruptions to these institutions would be considered a direct threat to public safety.

The changes also introduce a new provision requiring budget allocations for mobilisation tasks—including those of the presidential, Seimas, and government offices—to be specified in the annual state budget law. Olekas emphasised that this aligns with existing budgetary systems and does not create parallel mechanisms.

Currently, vital state functions are defined at a sub-legislative level, leaving gaps in legal clarity. The proposed amendments aim to address these gaps, ensuring institutions can perform essential duties during hybrid threats or mobilisation.

If approved, the new regulations would take effect on November 1.