A bill has been submitted to the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) proposing the removal of Article 137 from the country’s Constitution, which currently prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on Lithuanian territory.
To eliminate this constitutional restriction, the amendment must receive the support of a constitutional majority—91 out of 141 members of parliament.
However, the opposition has criticized the way such a far-reaching decision is being pushed through. Ignas Vėgėlė, a member of the Seimas representing the Mixed Parliamentary Group, condemned the lack of transparency surrounding the process.
“Article 137, which prohibits weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, is being abolished. We have heard no public arguments from politicians—despite the existence of both supporting and opposing views—no public opinion surveys, and no meaningful public debate. They simply gathered behind closed doors and reached a decision,” the politician wrote on social media.
Vėgėlė argues that the issue of deploying nuclear weapons is one of the most important questions facing the Lithuanian state and nation and should therefore be decided by a national referendum.
No such referendum is planned.
Instead, the previous evening, President Gitanas Nausėda, senior government officials, the leadership of the Seimas, and the heads of parliamentary factions met behind closed doors at the presidential office. Following the meeting, they announced that a political consensus had been reached.
According to critics, the public was not consulted on the decision.
