Speeches 

Address of the Speaker of the Seimas Mrs Loreta Graužinienė in the European Parliament on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence

Press release, 5 March 2015

Mr Schulz, President of the European Parliament,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Photo by Olga Posaškova, the Seimas Office

It is a privilege to jointly commemorate a remarkable historic event here with you. Twenty-five years ago, on 11 March 1990, Lithuania regained independence through the sovereign will of the nation. This came after half a century of occupation, offering us a historic opportunity to re-embrace the European family of nations. It also felt like a significant challenge to join Europe underpinned by the principles of freedom, democracy, equality, and solidarity.

For our nation, the Act on the Restoration of an Independent State of Lithuania of 11 March 1990 was an informed and conscious choice. Neither the drastically rewritten history, nor the continuous efforts to destroy the national collective memory were able to suppress the nation’s determination, spiritual strength, and strive for freedom. It was freedom that was an existential necessity of our people, the purpose of their lives, and the only possible way forward. Freedom proved to be more powerful than the fear of coercion and even the fear of death.

Once independence of Lithuania was restored, the country entered a clear and consistent phase of development. Today we are justified in taking pride in the changes that occurred in Lithuania over the past quarter of a century. We are a democracy with a rapidly developing economy and a fully-fledged member of the international community. Given the intricate geopolitical context, Lithuania is among the leaders in stating its clear and unwavering stance against any form of abuse of the fundamental human right to freedom.

Lithuania takes particular care of its young generation, grown up in an independent country. This is a pool of talented and earnest young people. It is of key importance to put every effort so they never find themselves faced with the need to fight for the independence of Lithuania again.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Restoration of Lithuania’s Independence, I wish you all to have faith, trust, solidarity, and concord as you work at creating wise coherence in Europe and across the world.

Have a warm and meaningful evening!