History of the 1992 Constitution of Lithuania for the Exam

The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania was adopted by referendum on 25 October 1992 and entered into force on 2 November 1992. It has a preamble, 14 chapters, final provisions and 154 articles.

The Constitution basics exam asks about exactly these things: when and how the 1992 Constitution of Lithuania was adopted, who can amend it, and which chapter holds a given rule. Below is what you actually need to remember, without the history-book detail.

The road to the 1992 Constitution of Lithuania

Interwar Lithuania had three permanent constitutions, adopted in 1922, 1928 and 1938. For the exam it is enough to know they existed and that the current Constitution is a separate document.

On 11 March 1990 the Supreme Council adopted the Act on the Restoration of the Independent State of Lithuania. From then until 1992 the country was governed by the Provisional Basic Law, a transitional constitution.

Two more acts were adopted before the referendum: the Constitutional Law "On the State of Lithuania" of 11 February 1991 and the Constitutional Act "On the Non-Alignment of the Republic of Lithuania to Post-Soviet Eastern Unions" of 8 June 1992. Under Article 150 both are part of the Constitution.

On 25 October 1992 citizens approved the new Constitution in a referendum. It entered into force on 2 November 1992, and 25 October has been marked as Constitution Day ever since.

Date	Event	Why it matters for the exam
1922, 1928, 1938	Interwar constitutions of Lithuania	Context only; details are not tested
11 March 1990	Act on the Restoration of the Independent State of Lithuania	Date of restored independence
1990–1992	Provisional Basic Law	Transitional constitution
11 February 1991	Constitutional Law "On the State of Lithuania"	Part of the Constitution (Article 150)
8 June 1992	Constitutional Act on non-alignment to post-Soviet Eastern unions	Part of the Constitution (Article 150)
25 October 1992	Constitution adopted by referendum	The most frequently asked date; Constitution Day
2 November 1992	Constitution entered into force	Do not confuse with the adoption date
13 July 2004	Constitutional Act on membership of the European Union	Part of the Constitution (Article 150)

Why a referendum, and what it required

The Constitution sets its own condition for validity. Article 151 states that it enters into force on the day after the official announcement of the referendum results, provided that more than half of all citizens of the Republic of Lithuania with the right to vote approved it.

The Law "On the Procedure for the Entry into Force of the Constitution" was adopted in the same referendum (Article 152). Under Article 154 the adopted Constitution was signed and published within 15 days by the Chairman of the Supreme Council.

Article 9 carries the same logic forward: the most significant issues of the life of the State and the Nation are decided by referendum, and a referendum must also be called if at least 300,000 citizens with the right to vote demand it. That figure appears in exam questions.

Structure: 14 chapters and 154 articles

The Constitution consists of a preamble, fourteen chapters, final provisions (Articles 150–154) and the constitutional acts that form part of it. The official exam programme follows the chapter order, so knowing where things sit saves time on the day.

Chapter	Articles	Typical exam question
I. Lietuvos valstybė (The State of Lithuania)	1–17	Form of government, state language, anthem, flag, capital
II. Žmogus ir valstybė (The Human Being and the State)	18–37	Right to life, liberty, property; voting age
III. Visuomenė ir valstybė (Society and the State)	38–45	Family, compulsory education, ban on censorship
IV. Tautos ūkis ir darbas (National Economy and Labour)	46–54	Exclusive state property, right to strike, social security
V. Seimas	55–76	Number of members, term, minimum age, sessions
VI. Respublikos Prezidentas (President of the Republic)	77–90	Term, minimum age, who substitutes
VII. Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybė (Government)	91–101	Composition, who appoints the Prime Minister
VIII. Konstitucinis Teismas (Constitutional Court)	102–108	Number of justices, term, who appoints
IX. Teismas (Courts)	109–118	Court system, prosecutor's office
X. Vietos savivalda ir valdymas (Local Self-Government)	119–124	Municipal council elections, government representatives
XI. Finansai ir valstybės biudžetas (Finances and Budget)	125–132	Bank of Lithuania, budget year
XII. Valstybės kontrolė (State Audit)	133–134	Who appoints the Auditor General
XIII. Užsienio politika ir valstybės gynimas (Foreign Policy and Defence)	135–146	State Defence Council, martial law and state of emergency
XIV. Konstitucijos keitimas (Amending the Constitution)	147–149	Who may propose amendments, what majority is needed
Final provisions	150–154	Constituent acts, condition for entry into force

Each chapter has its own study module in the app. Start with constitutional foundations, then read the overview of the Seimas, President, Government and courts for the exam.

Articles 6 and 7: the Constitution applies directly

Article 6 says the Constitution is an integral and directly applicable act, and that everyone may defend their rights by invoking it. In practice this means you do not need a separate law to rely on a constitutional right; the Constitution works on its own.

Article 7 adds three rules: no law or other act contrary to the Constitution is valid; only published laws are valid; and ignorance of the law does not release anyone from liability. That last sentence is one of the most frequently tested lines.

Article 5 sits alongside them: state power is exercised by the Seimas, the President of the Republic and the Government, and the Judiciary, and the powers of government are limited by the Constitution. Read Article 1 as well; together with Article 2 it answers what kind of state Lithuania is and who holds sovereignty.

How the Constitution is amended: Articles 147–149

Under Article 147 a proposal to amend or supplement the Constitution may be submitted to the Seimas by a group of at least 1/4 of all members of the Seimas or by at least 300,000 voters. The Constitution may not be amended during a state of emergency or martial law.

Article 148 sets three different levels of protection:

• The provision of Article 1, "The State of Lithuania shall be an independent democratic republic", may be changed only by referendum, and only if at least 3/4 of citizens with the right to vote support it.
• The provisions of Chapter I "The State of Lithuania" and Chapter XIV "Amending the Constitution" may be changed only by referendum.
• Amendments to the other chapters must be debated and voted on twice in the Seimas, with a break of at least three months between the votes; each vote needs at least 2/3 of all members of the Seimas.

A rejected amendment may be resubmitted to the Seimas no earlier than a year later. An adopted amendment is signed and published by the President within 5 days and enters into force no earlier than one month after adoption (Article 149).

Keep the three fractions apart, because the wrong answer options are built from swapping them: 1/4 of the Seimas or 300,000 voters propose, 2/3 of all members adopt, 3/4 of citizens change Article 1.

What the Constitution basics exam asks about this topic

The official exam is a written test of 20 questions, each with three answer options, and you pass with 14 or more correct. Questions are drawn from all chapters, so history and structure are only one slice, but a slice that shows up in nearly every paper.

Typical questions from this topic:

1. When and how was the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania adopted? By referendum on 25 October 1992.
2. What kind of state is Lithuania under Article 1? An independent democratic republic.
3. Who holds sovereignty? The Nation (Article 2).
4. Is a law that contradicts the Constitution valid? No (Article 7).
5. Who may propose amendments to the Constitution? 1/4 of Seimas members or 300,000 voters.
6. What majority does the Seimas need to adopt an amendment? 2/3 of all members, in two votes.

The exam is held in Lithuanian only, so learn the key phrases in Lithuanian as well; every question in the app is available in Lithuanian, English and Russian. Questions like these with explanations are among the free practice questions, and full 20-question mock exams are part of the premium version. The exam guide covers registration, the fee and certificates.

FAQ

When was the Constitution of Lithuania adopted?

By referendum on 25 October 1992. It entered into force on 2 November 1992. The exam usually asks for the adoption date.

How many articles and chapters does it have?

154 articles, 14 chapters, a preamble and final provisions. The constitutional acts listed in Article 150 are also part of the Constitution.

Is the free Constitution Day exam the same as the exam for the permanent residence permit?

No. Around Constitution Day on 25 October the Ministry of Justice runs a public Konstitucijos egzaminas open to everyone. It does not count for migration purposes; the permanent residence permit requires the official NŠA exam.

Can the Constitution be amended during a war?

No. Article 147 prohibits amending the Constitution during a state of emergency or martial law.

Do I need to know the whole history?

No. The dates in the table above, the chapter order and the amendment rules are enough. The exam programme is based on the text of the Constitution, not on a history textbook.

Check how well the dates and fractions stuck: work through the free practice questions and you will see which chapters still need attention.