Parliament bars serving politicians from Stulginskis award

Lithuania’s parliament has ruled that politicians serving in office can no longer receive the Aleksandras Stulginskis Star, LRT reported. A total of 100 lawmakers voted unanimously this week to approve the amendment.

The amendment’s authors said the change is intended to ensure the award is granted objectively and transparently, and to prevent possible political favouritism.

The change follows this year’s decision to award the honour to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his “great efforts and merits, and firm stance in defending the freedom of Lithuania and all of Europe”. His office told parliament that he does not accept awards while in office, so the honour has not yet been presented.

Last April, conservatives criticised parliament’s decision to give the award to Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, a signatory of Lithuania’s Act of Independence and a Social Democratic member of the European Parliament. Some lawmakers argued that the award was based on party affiliation rather than merit.

Remigijus Motuzas, chair of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, has proposed that the award commission put forward two candidates in future: one from Lithuania and one from abroad.

The award recognises contributions to the ideas of parliamentarism, democracy and statehood. Established by parliament in 2020, it honours Aleksandras Stulginskis, chair of the Constituent Assembly who served as president.

Previous recipients include former parliament speakers Česlovas Juršėnas and Irena Degutienė, US Senator Richard Durbin, former president Valdas Adamkus, Ukrainian parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, dissident and nun Felicija Nijolė Sadūnaitė, who received the award posthumously, and Valeriu Matei, a member of Moldova’s Academy of Sciences.