Lithuanian World Community head proposes expanding separate dual citizenship cases

In her words, despite the failed bid to amend the Constitution, almost 1 million people voted in favor of expanding the dual citizenship institute and "a strong mandate was received for the president, Seimas members and also the Constitutional Court".

The LWC head is a position that another appeal can be lodged with the Constitutional Court over the expansion of the dual citizenship after the failed May referendum.

The Constitutional Court has ruled several times already that dual citizenship in Lithuania can only be expanded following the amendment of the country's Constitution. But Henke says the court can change its position in response to the changing situation.

"We will propose expanding separate cases, and the Constitutional Court will probably have to go back to the issue. (…) Cases in Europe show that the Constitutional Court's rulings can be changed in response to changed conditions. We no longer live in 1992, we are a state that is losing a lot of its citizens, and speaking of Brexit, when Lithuanian citizens living there will have to make their decision, the Constitutional Court needs to react to those changed conditions," Henke told BNS Lithuania on Monday.

Meanwhile MP Zygimantas Pavilionis, representing the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, suggests against flouncing about and instead suggests getting ready for a new referendum as an attempt to deal with this issue through the Constitutional Court would fail once again.

"We tried to resolve the citizenship issue in the Seimas and the Constitutional Court said very clearly "no" three times. I was an enthusiast of that decision (dual citizenship expansion without a referendum – BNS Lithuania), and didn’t want the referendum. And with all my experience, I suggest against going into the same river for the fourth time, as it just won't be successful," he said.