Seimas, President, Government and Courts: Constitution Exam Guide

Article 5 of the Constitution answers a classic exam question in one sentence: state power in Lithuania is exercised by the Seimas, the President of the Republic, the Government and the Courts. The chapters on these institutions supply a large share of Constitution basics exam questions.

Below is each institution in plain language, the numbers the exam checks most often (141, 4, 5, 9, 21, 40) and the article behind each fact.

The Seimas: 141 members for four years (Articles 55–76)

The Seimas is the parliament. Under Article 55 it has 141 members elected for four years by universal, equal and direct suffrage in a secret ballot.

Who can be elected? Article 56: a citizen of Lithuania not bound by an oath to a foreign state, at least 21 on election day and permanently resident in Lithuania.

Regular elections fall on the second Sunday of October in the year the term ends (Article 57). The Seimas meets in two regular sessions: spring from 10 March to 30 June and autumn from 10 September to 23 December (Article 64).

Article 67 lists what the Seimas does: adopts constitutional amendments and laws, approves the Prime Minister and the Government's programme, appoints Constitutional Court and Supreme Court justices, approves the state budget, sets taxes and ratifies treaties (full list on our state institutions page).

How a law is adopted (Articles 68–72)

Legislative initiative belongs to Seimas members, the President and the Government, and to 50,000 citizens with the right to vote (Article 68). A law passes by a majority of the members present; constitutional laws need more than half of all members and are amended by at least 3/5 (Article 69).

A law enters into force once the President signs and promulgates it (Article 70). The President has ten days to sign it or return it with reasons; otherwise the Speaker signs it (Article 71). The Seimas can re-adopt a returned law with more than half of all members (3/5 for a constitutional law), and the President must then sign within three days (Article 72; see the legislative process lesson).

Impeachment (Article 74)

By a 3/5 majority of all members the Seimas may remove the President, the justices of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, or strip a Seimas member of the mandate, for a gross violation of the Constitution, a breach of oath or a crime.

The President of the Republic (Articles 77–90)

The President is the head of state (Article 77), elected directly by citizens for five years and for no more than two consecutive terms (Article 78).

Requirements: a citizen of Lithuania by origin, at least 40 by election day, resident in Lithuania for the last three years and eligible for the Seimas (Article 78), with at least 20,000 voters' signatures (Article 79).

Powers of the President in plain language (Article 84)

• Handles basic foreign policy issues with the Government and signs international treaties, which the Seimas ratifies.
• Appoints the Prime Minister with the approval of the Seimas, and ministers on the Prime Minister's proposal.
• Proposes Supreme Court justices to the Seimas, appoints Court of Appeal judges with its approval and appoints regional and district judges.
• Proposes three Constitutional Court justices, the State Controller and the Chair of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania.
• Grants citizenship and pardons, awards state decorations, calls Seimas elections, gives an annual address and signs or returns laws.

Who stands in for the President (Article 89)

If the President dies, resigns, is removed or cannot serve for health reasons, the Speaker of the Seimas acts temporarily, and the Seimas must call an election within 10 days, to be held within two months.

The Government: Prime Minister and ministers (Articles 91–101)

The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the ministers (Article 91). The President appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister with the approval of the Seimas, and ministers on the Prime Minister's proposal (Article 92).

Under Article 94 the Government manages the affairs of the country, guarantees state security and public order, executes laws and presidential decrees, coordinates the ministries, drafts the budget and draft laws, and maintains diplomatic relations.

Article 101: the Government must resign when the Seimas rejects its programme twice in a row, on a secret-ballot vote of no confidence by a majority of all members, when the Prime Minister resigns or dies, after a Seimas election, or when more than half of the ministers change and the Seimas does not renew its mandate.

The Constitutional Court: 9 justices, 9 years (Articles 102–108)

The Constitutional Court decides whether laws and other Seimas acts conform to the Constitution, and whether acts of the President and the Government conform to the Constitution and laws (Article 102). Its decisions are final and cannot be appealed (Article 107).

Article 103: 9 justices for nine years and one term only, with a third of the Court renewed every three years. The President, the Speaker and the President of the Supreme Court each propose three candidates, and the Seimas appoints them.

The Courts: system, independence, judges (Articles 109–118)

Justice is administered only by the courts; judges are independent and obey only the law (Article 109). Article 111 names the system: the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, regional courts and district courts, plus specialised courts set up by law.

Only citizens may be judges (Article 112): Supreme Court judges are appointed by the Seimas on the President's proposal, Court of Appeal judges by the President with the Seimas' approval, and regional and district judges by the President.

Hearings are public and held in the state language, with an interpreter guaranteed to anyone who does not speak Lithuanian (Article 117). The Prosecutor General is appointed by the President with the Seimas' approval (Article 118; more in the judicial system lesson).

Local government (Articles 119–124)

Municipal councils and mayors are elected for four years in direct elections (Article 119). This matters to permit holders: council members are elected by citizens and other permanent residents of the municipality, while mayors must be citizens.

Municipalities act freely within their competence (Article 120) and approve their own budgets (Article 121); the Seimas may temporarily introduce direct rule (Article 123).

State Control and the Bank of Lithuania (Articles 125–134)

The Bank of Lithuania is the state-owned central bank (Article 125); the Chair of its Board is appointed by the Seimas on the President's proposal for five years (Article 126). The budget year runs from 1 January to 31 December (Article 129), and the Government submits the draft budget at least 75 days before the year ends (Article 130).

The State Controller, appointed the same way for five years, supervises state property and budget execution (Articles 133–134).

Summary table: who appoints whom, for how long

Institution	Who elects or appoints	Term	Key article
Seimas (141 members)	Citizens, direct elections	4 years	Article 55
President of the Republic	Citizens, direct elections	5 years, max. two consecutive	Article 78
Prime Minister	President, with the Seimas' approval	Tied to the Government's mandate	Article 92
Constitutional Court (9 justices)	Seimas, from candidates of the President, the Speaker and the Supreme Court President	9 years, one term	Article 103
Supreme Court judges	Seimas, on the President's proposal	—	Article 112
Court of Appeal judges	President, with the Seimas' approval	—	Article 112
Prosecutor General	President, with the Seimas' approval	—	Article 118
Municipal councils and mayors	Citizens and other permanent residents	4 years	Article 119
Chair of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania	Seimas, on the President's proposal	5 years	Article 126
State Controller	Seimas, on the President's proposal	5 years	Article 133

What the exam likes to ask

Every question has three options and one correct answer, so the test usually swaps one number or one institution:

1. Who exercises state power in Lithuania? The Seimas, the President, the Government and the Courts (Article 5).
2. How many members does the Seimas have and for how long? 141 members, four years (Article 55).
3. Minimum age of a Seimas member and of the President? 21 (Article 56) and 40 (Article 78).
4. For how long is the President elected? Five years, no more than two consecutive terms (Article 78).
5. Who has the right of legislative initiative? Seimas members, the President, the Government and 50,000 citizens with the right to vote (Article 68).
6. Who appoints the Prime Minister? The President, with the approval of the Seimas (Article 92).
7. How many Constitutional Court justices, and for how long? Nine, for nine years, one term only (Article 103).
8. Who temporarily performs the duties of the President? The Speaker of the Seimas (Article 89).

Test these on our free practice questions, and see more worked examples in the post on typical exam questions with answers.

FAQ

Do I have to memorise all 24 points of Article 84?

No. Learn the pattern: the President appoints with the Seimas' approval (Prime Minister, Court of Appeal judges, Prosecutor General), and proposes to the Seimas (Supreme Court and Constitutional Court justices, State Controller).

Is the Speaker of the Seimas the same as the President?

No. The Speaker (Seimo Pirmininkas) chairs the Seimas (Article 66) and only stands in for the President under Article 89; the head of state is the President (Article 77).

Are the questions in Lithuanian only?

Yes, and no reference materials are allowed, so learn the Lithuanian names: Seimas, Respublikos Prezidentas, Vyriausybė, Konstitucinis Teismas.

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