“The Seimas: 1) shall consider and adopt amendments to the Constitution; 2) shall pass laws; 3) shall adopt resolutions on referendums; 4) shall call elections for the President of the Republic of Lithuania; 5) shall establish state institutions provided for by law, and appoint and release their heads; 6) shall or shall not give its assent to the candidate proposed by the President of the Republic for the post of the Prime Minister; 7) shall consider the programme of the Government, presented by the Prime Minister, and decide whether to give its assent to it; 8) shall, upon the proposal of the Government, establish and abolish the ministries of the Republic of Lithuania; 9) shall supervise the activities of the Government and may express no confidence in the Prime Minister or a Minister; 10) shall appoint the justices and Presidents of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court; 11) shall appoint and release the Auditor General and the Chairperson of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania; 12) shall call elections to municipal councils and municipal mayors; 13) shall form the Central Electoral Commission and alter its composition; 14) shall approve the State Budget and supervise its execution; 15) shall establish state taxes and other compulsory payments; 16) shall ratify and denounce international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania and consider other issues of foreign policy; 17) shall establish the administrative division of the Republic; 18) shall establish the state awards of the Republic of Lithuania; 19) shall issue acts of amnesty; 20) shall impose direct rule and martial law, declare states of emergency, announce mobilisation, and adopt a decision to use the armed forces.”
The article lists the 20 main powers of the Seimas, from adopting constitutional amendments and laws to supervising the Government, appointing judges and officials, approving the State Budget, ratifying international treaties and deciding on martial law or a state of emergency. A 2022 amendment added that the Seimas also calls elections of municipal mayors.
At the end of every year the Seimas approves the State Budget, and after a change of Government it approves the candidate for Prime Minister and debates the Government programme. The Seimas also ratifies the international treaties under which Lithuania takes part in international organisations.
Questions ask what falls within the competence of the Seimas: calling presidential elections, approving the budget, ratifying treaties, appointing Constitutional Court justices, imposing martial law. Distinguish the powers of the Seimas from those of the President (Article 84) and the Government (Article 94).
Practice with questions about this article