By 
Lithuania’s leaders, business community and public figures set out to rebuild a Lithuania of four million.
They are organising a referendum campaign on the preservation of citizenship, have established a public institution – “4 Million Lithuania”, are gathering support, and are mobilising the Lithuanian and foreign Lithuanian community to organise a special campaign to encourage the public to support the preservation of Lithuanian citizenship for our citizens abroad.
I cannot understand why the issue of dual citizenship is treated so casually. After all, every Lithuanian citizenship preserved means more interests for our country in the US Congress, the London Parliament, the Berlin Bundestag or any other friendly foreign country, and it means a safer Lithuania with more investments and new opportunities. Not only can there be 4 million of us, but there should be. I invite you to join me and do your best to make the right to retain citizenship not just an agenda item for politicians before the elections, but to turn it into a Lithuania of 4 million,
says the founder of IT company TeleSofto.
According to Marija Šaraitė, a public figure who has joined the initiative and the head of the Global Lithuanian Leaders network of professionals from the Lithuanian diaspora, the initiative is the first public initiative where Lithuanian and diaspora leaders have come together for a common campaign to preserve citizenship in a very short period of time.
The bar is set very high and we have very little time. More than 1.2 million positive votes on the day of the referendum are needed for every citizen to retain their citizenship, so I invite everyone with bold ideas, desire and determination to join us and repeat the success of the Baltic Way,
she said.
According to the Migration Department, several thousand Lithuanians have lost their citizenship over the years without the retention of citizenship being enshrined in the Lithuanian Constitution.
The “4 Million Lithuanians” initiative is already supported by such businesses, organisations and well-known people as Algirdas Stonys and TeleSoftas, the Lithuanian Club of the City of London, the Los Angeles Professionals’ Club (LABA.LA), Marija Šaraitė and the Global Lithuanian Leaders (GLL), Mykolas Katkus and many others.
Contribute to the €4 million. You can contribute to the 4 Million Lithuania initiative and find out more information about 4 Million Lithuania on the official website www.4milijonai.lt. A. Stonys has personally contributed more than 150 000, 00 euros. The current Law on Citizenship provides for the possibility of dual citizenship for those who left Lithuania before the restoration of independence – before 11 March 1990, but not later.
The referendum on the retention of Lithuanian citizenship will be held in conjunction with the first round of the presidential elections. 12 May 2024.
Marija Šaraitė, organizer of the initiative: We will struggle!
“We need your help, and Lithuania needs your help too. Our country needs it. We need to vote “FOR” the referendum on retaining citizenship in the first round of the presidential election.
We don’t have much time, but we have the strength and initiative, the will and courage to start trying to do what politicians only promised to do but never did. But we will still try to make a difference, even though it will not be easy.
The expected turnout for the election and referendum could be as low as 60%, public awareness of the benefits of a referendum is low and the willingness to support it is unknown. But this does not and will not stop us, we will fight!“
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