The Parliament undertakes to consider amendments to the law that will make it compulsory to provide customer service in the Lithuanian language

In autumn, the Seimas (Parliament) will consider amendments to the State Language Act, which obliges service providers and vendors directly serving customers to use the Lithuanian language. This initiative, put forward by Conservative MP Dalia Asanavičiūtė, was supported by 61 parliamentarians, with no votes against and 7 abstentions. The law will now be considered by the Education and Science Committee. Asanavičiūtė stresses that with the increase in the number of foreign workers, it is important to provide service in the state language at least at a basic level.

“As the number of foreigners living in Lithuania has exceeded 200,000 and the State Language Law stipulates the use of the state language in public life, protection of the language, control and responsibility for violations, I think it is necessary to introduce such a specific requirement. […] This rule clearly states that if you work in the service sector, you must know Lithuanian at a basic level,” – D. Asanavičiūtė said, presenting the draft from the Seimas tribunal.

If the state imposes an obligation or requirement, she said, the state should also help the foreigner to fulfil this obligation, i.e. learn Lithuanian at a certain basic level.

“The Employment Office already offers free Lithuanian language courses both for those registered at the Employment Office and for those already working, and universities also offer courses. Furthermore, we propose that the law should come into force on 1 April next year. In this way, there will be enough time and opportunity to solve the problem of the availability of free courses,” said D. Asanavičiūtė.

MEP Stasys Tumėnas also urged support for the amendments.

“From a legal point of view, what is happening in shopping centres, public spaces and the like is a violation of the linguistic rights of Lithuanian citizens,” he said.

Freedom Party MP Ieva Pakarklytė, on the other hand, believes that the amendments are excessive, as the law now already stipulates the requirement for service in Lithuanian in sales and services.

“Is the problem really the lack of new regulations and new laws, or is the problem, in fact, the implementation?” – the parliamentarian wondered.

A member of the Liberal Movement faction of the Seimas, Viktoras Pranckietis, also tried to defend the rights of people coming to Lithuania.

“Suddenly we are telling them that they have to speak only Lithuanian. What are we going to change for these people by putting a requirement in the law? We will only change their thinking about Lithuania. And that thinking is: they are forcing me to do this and fast. We are not helping those who have come, but on the contrary, we are motivating them to turn away from Lithuania. I am not against this law, but I think it is excessive. […] Lithuanians are multilingual and everyone can understand those willing to talk,” – claimed V. Pranckietis.

The amendments to the State Language Act are proposed to enter into force on 1 April 2025.

As a reminder, the government has extended by one year the deadline by which Ukrainian refugees wishing to work must learn the state language. By the government’s decision, foreigners under temporary protection will not yet be subject to the criteria of knowing the state language. Temporary protection has been extended by one year – until 4 March 2025.