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Vytautas Landsbergis | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2014 | |
| Chairman of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas | |
| In office 11 March 1990 – 25 November 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Post created Antanas Smetona (in 1940, last legal President) Konstantinas Šakenis (in 1940, last legal Speaker of the Seimas) |
| Succeeded by | Algirdas Brazauskas (as the Speaker of the Seimas and acting President of Lithuania) |
| Speaker of the Seimas | |
| In office 25 November 1996 – 19 October 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Česlovas Juršėnas |
| Succeeded by | Artūras Paulauskas |
| Chairman of theHomeland Union | |
| In office 1 May 1993 – 24 May 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Post created |
| Succeeded by | Andrius Kubilius |
| Member of the European Parliament forLithuania | |
| In office 28 April 2003 – 30 June 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1932-10-18)18 October 1932 (age 93) Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Political party | Sąjūdis (1988–1993) Homeland Union (1993–present) |
| Spouse | Gražina Ručytė-Landsbergienė |
| Alma mater | Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (1955) |
| Awards | Star of Lithuanian Diplomacy (2017) |
| Signature |  |
Vytautas Landsbergis (Lithuanian:[ˈvʲîːtɐʊtɐsˈɫɐ̂ˑnʲdzʲbʲɛrʲɡʲɪs]ⓘ; born 18 October 1932) is aLithuanian politician, musicologist and formerMember of the European Parliament. He was the firstSpeaker of Reconstituent Seimas ofLithuania afterits independence declaration from theSoviet Union. He has written 20 books on a variety of topics, including a biography ofMikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, as well as works on politics and music. He is a founding signatory of thePrague Declaration,[1] and a member of the international advisory council of theVictims of Communism Memorial Foundation.[2]
Vytautas Landsbergis, a member of an old GermanLandsberg family, was born inKaunas, Lithuania. His father was the architectVytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis. His mother,ophthalmologist Dr. Ona Jablonskytė-Landsbergienė, assisted her sister's family in sheltering a Jewish child, Avivit Kissin, from the Holocaust. She brought Kissin to her sister's home and produced a forged birth certificate with a Lithuanian for Kissin. Her sister and brother-in-law were namedRighteous Among the Nations.[3] Jablonskytė-Landsbergienė was also named as Righteous Among the Nations for her efforts to help hide a 16-year old Jewish girl named Bella Gurvich (later Rozenberg).[4]
In 1952, he placed third in theLithuanian chess championship, afterRatmir Kholmov andVladas Mikėnas.[5] In 1955, he graduated from the Lithuanian Conservatory of Music (nowLithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre). In 1969, he wrote his thesis for his PhD degree. In 1978, he became a professor at theLithuanian Conservatory. From 1978 to 1990, he was a professor at both theLithuanian Conservatory and theVilnius Pedagogical University. In 1994, he wrote a thesis for hisdoctor habilitus degree.
Landsbergis was married to Gražina Ručytė-Landsbergienė (1930–2020),[6] who was a well-known Lithuanian pianist and associate Professor of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. His daughters Jūratė and Birutė are also musicians. His son,Vytautas, is a well-known Lithuanian writer and film director. His grandsonGabrielius Landsbergis (b. 1982) is the former (2015–2024) leader of the conservative party, a former member ofLithuanian Parliament, and the formerForeign Minister of Lithuania.
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Landsbergis entered politics, in 1988, as one of the founders ofSąjūdis, the Lithuanian pro-independence political movement. In the1989 elections to the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, Landsbergis was elected as one of the People's Deputies from Lithuanian SSR. After Sąjūdis' victory in the1990 elections, he became the Chairman of theSupreme Council of Lithuania.
On 11 March 1990, he headed the Parliamentary session during which the restoration of Lithuanian independence from the Soviet Unionwas declared. Lithuania became the firstSoviet Republic to do so. According to theTemporary Primary Law (de facto temporary Constitution, until the permanent Constitution comes to power) of Lithuania, Landsbergis was both: the highest officer of State and theSpeaker of the Parliament. He held this post from March 1990 until thenext elections in November 1992.
The Soviet Union attempted to stifle this activity by economic blockade in 1990, but it failed, and other Soviet Republics soon followed suit and declared their independence from Moscow as well. He was also extremely dubious of the view thatMikhail Gorbachev was trying to liberalize the Soviet Union and that Lithuania should not prevent him from doing so. Landsbergis also played a crucial role during theconfrontation between the Lithuanian independence movement and Soviet armed forces in January 1991. Iceland was the first state that officially recognized the restoration of Lithuanian independence; Landsbergis was somewhat critical of certain Western powers (such as the United States and United Kingdom) for not showing enough support in Lithuania's bid to restore its independence after more than 40 years ofSoviet occupation, although he did accept the recommendation from his government that the newly independent Lithuania immediately seek to establish full diplomatic relations with the UK and US.
In 1993, Landsbergis led much of Sąjūdis into a new political party, theHomeland Union (Tėvynės Sąjunga). It gained a landslide victory in the1996 parliamentary elections. Landsbergis served as Speaker of theSeimas from 1996 until 2000. He ran, although unsuccessfully, for president in 1997 (coming up third after receiving 15.9% of the votes). During the runoff, he supportedValdas Adamkus, who had finished second in the first round. Adamkus eventually became president.
In 2004, Landsbergis was elected by Lithuanian voters to theEuropean Parliament in Brussels (the total number of MEPs from Lithuania in Brussels was 13), and has been returned at every election until 2014.
In 2005, Landsbergis became an international patron of the newly formedHenry Jackson Society.[7]
Since 2015, Landsbergis, together with Roswitha Fessler-Ketteler, MEPHeidi Hautala, Aleksi Malmberg, andFrank Schwalba-Hoth, is a member of the advisory board of the Caucasian Chamber Orchestra association and its German "Förderverein".[8]
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In January 2005, Landsbergis, backed by Member of theEuropean Parliament from HungaryJozsef Szajer, urged that Communist symbols be banned in theEuropean Union, in addition toNazi symbols.[9] He also sent a letter toFranco Frattini, the European Commissioner of Justice and Internal Affairs, suggesting that in case the EU decides to banNazi symbols, Communist symbols should be banned too. The Commissioner became interested in this proposal and said:I am ready to join this discussion. The Communist dictatorships no less than the Nazi ones are responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people. A bit later, however, the Commissioner decided that he would not attempt to ban any symbols, as there was no agreement as to which symbols should be banned.
Landsbergis' proposal caused quite a stir in Italy, where leftists strongly protested such a move. TheCommunist Refoundation Party andParty of Italian Communists were outraged at the proposal. It became the center of Italian media's attention. One of the most influential Italian dailies,La Repubblica, published an interview with Landsbergis outlining his proposal. It was the first time the daily allocated a full page to a politician from Lithuania.
Landsbergis's proposal found few supporters among Italian politicians. One wasAlessandra Mussolini, a granddaughter of former Italian fascist dictatorBenito Mussolini, who commented: "To implement the proposal of the Members of the European Parliament regarding Communist symbols is our moral duty".
Landsbergis' proposal was opposed by the Russian Parliament as well. The First Vicespeaker of the RussianState Duma called the proposal "abnormal". Another Russian MP,[who?] a communist, commented that "somebody in Europe became insolent and forgot who saved them from the fascists".
The debate came to an end when, in the beginning of February 2005, theEuropean Commission rejected calls for a proposed Europe-wide ban on Nazi symbols to be extended to cover Communist Party symbols as well. Frattini said it would not be appropriate to include thered star and thehammer and sickle in a draft EU law on racism.
Finally, at the end of February 2005, theEuropean Union dropped proposals to ban Nazi symbols across its 25 member states. Luxembourg withdrew the plan when it became clear that members could not reach a consensus on which symbols to ban. There were also concerns that the proposed ban was a threat tofreedom of expression.
Landsbergis is a fierce critic of Russia's intentions to impose any kind of influence on theBaltic states and publicly questions Russia's actions vis-à-vis the Baltic States on both local and international media, as well as in the European Parliament. He warns that Russia might have intentions to control Lithuania and the other Baltic States economically and politically through a wide network of formerKGB agents and other clandestine activities. Landsbergis is one of the most active politicians who urge Russia to compensate Lithuania and other post-Soviet republics for damage done to them during their occupations.
In 2019, Vilnius's mayor,Remigijus Šimašius, renamed a street that had been named afterKazys Skirpa (who formed theLithuanian Activist Front, which massacred Jews across Lithuania) and removed a memorial toJonas Noreika (who ordered and oversaw the killings of Lithuanian Jews inPlungė during thePlungė massacre). Landsbergis posted a poem on social media that referred to theVirgin Mary as a "žydelka" ("jew-girl"), andFaina Kukliansky, chair of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, condemned it.[10] Landsbergis said the poem was an attempt to show the ignorance of Lithuanian antisemites and requested support from "at least one smart and brave Jew ... who does not agree with Simasius."[10]
The question of whether V. Landsbergis should be officially acknowledged as the head of state of Lithuania from 1990 to 1992 has been polarising the Lithuanian public for many years. On 25 June 2022, theLithuanian Seimas officially approved the bill regarding V. Landsbergis' recognition as the head of state.[11] "The bill is a symbol of respect and acknowledgement of a person who played a significant role in Lithuania’s history," theSpeaker of Seimas,V. Čmilytė-Nielsen, said.[11] The opposition claimed that such a step was a "falsification of history" as the Provisional Constitution along with other historical records state that "[t]he functions of the head of state during the transitional period remain with the collegial Parliament body—the Presidium of theSupreme Council of Lithuania."[12] The latter was a collective political entity consisting of 11 deputies possessing equal powers,[13] which was disbanded on 22 November 1992, when the currentConstitution of Lithuania was adopted. The decision made by Seimas proved to be unpopular among the public. According to one survey done byLietuvos rytas, 68% of respondents disagree with such an initiative, with 42% of them believing that it is baseless and 26% doubting its validity. On 30 June 2022, Vytautas Landsbergis was officially recognized as the first post-soviet Lithuania's head of state.[14] "Should I be congratulated? I don't know... Lithuania is the one that should be congratulated more as it is finally on a par withEstonia. Estonia has already sorted it out in a way thatArnold Rüütel wasPresident since March of 1990," V. Landsbergis commented.[15] The opposition threatened to renounce Landsbergis' status as the head of state in thenext parliamentary elections.[16]
In September 2025, Landsbergis was hospitalized inVilnius, Lithuania for "heart problems".[17]
Lithuania: Former Grand Master Grand Cross with Collar of theOrder of Vytautas the Great[18][19][20]Lithuania: Former Grand Master Grand Cross of theOrder of the Cross of Vytis[21]Lithuania: Former Grand Master Grand Cross of theOrder of Grand Duke Gediminas[18]
Estonia: Grand Cross with Collar of theOrder of the Cross of Terra Mariana[18]
France: Grand Cross of theNational Order of the Legion of Honour[18]France: Grand Cross of theOrder of La Pléiade[18]
Saxony: Recipient of theSaxon Constitutional Medal[18]
Greece: Grand Cross of theOrder of Honour[18]
Latvia: Grand Officer of theOrder of the Three Stars[18]
Luxembourg: Recipient of theEuropean Medal of Merit[18]
Malta: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of Obedience of theSovereign Military Order of Malta[18][22]
Norway: Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Norwegian Order of Merit[18]
Poland: Grand Cross of theOrder of Merit of the Republic of Poland[18]
Romanian Royal Family: Extra Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Crown[23]France: Foundation du Futur Award[18][24]
GermanyHermann Ehlers Prize[18][24]
Italy:Vibo Valentia Testimony Prize[18]Norway: Norwegian People's Peace Prize[18][24]
Philippines:Gusi Peace Prize
Spain:Ramon Llull International Prize[18]
UNESCO: Recipient of theMedal for Contribution in Democracy and the Fight for Human Rights[18]
United States: Recipient of thePresidents Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation[18][25]
United Kingdom:International Freedom Foundation Award[18]Landsbergis has received honorary doctorates from the following institutions:
United States:Loyola University, Chicago (1991)Lithuania:Vytautas Magnus University,Kaunas (1992)United States:Weber State University,Ogden, Utah 1992)United States:Yale University,New Haven, Connecticut (1992)Lithuania:Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (1998)Lithuania:University of Law (2000)
Finland:Helsinki University (2000)
Wales:Cardiff University (2000)France:Sorbonne (2001)Lithuania:Art Academy (2003)
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