Lithuania’s government approved a comprehensive action plan aimed at combating antisemitism, xenophobia and incitement to hatred, including measures ranging from training for officials and educators to educational programs, public awareness campaigns and the renaming of streets.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the plan fulfils a commitment set out in the government’s program and addresses an absence in national policy.
“Lithuania is currently one of the few European Union countries that does not yet have such a plan,” Ruginienė said at a cabinet meeting. “The approval of this plan is our commitment.”
She said the initiative is intended to strengthen efforts to counter antisemitism, xenophobia, hatred and discrimination, promote equality and support Jewish life in Lithuania. Discrimination and hate targeting minority groups – including the Jewish community, Roma, LGBTIQ+ people and migrants – are still present in the country, she said.
“Although the legal framework is in place, there is a lack of consistent prevention, involvement of the education system and coordination,” the prime minister said.
The plan was developed in cooperation with ministries, municipalities, higher education institutions and non-governmental organisations.
“A lot of work has been done, and we can finally be happy with the result,” Ruginienė said.
The plan sets three main goals: preventing and combating all forms of antisemitism, xenophobia and incitement to hatred; promoting Jewish life; and preserving the memory of the Holocaust. An institution will be appointed to coordinate its implementation.
Measures include boosting training and motivation for teachers, public officials and workers in the education and culture sectors, as well as expanding knowledge about Jews and other vulnerable groups.
The government plans to finance projects from the state budget that address hate crime, provide psychological assistance to victims and promote the lives of ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ and other vulnerable communities.
The plan also calls for assessing the need to appoint designated officers within the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Police Department to coordinate efforts against antisemitism, xenophobia and hate crime. Additional training is planned for police cadets, officers, prosecutors and judges to improve their understanding of the needs of LGBTIQ+ people and other vulnerable groups and their ability to respond appropriately.
Educational initiatives include exhibitions, events and school lessons on Jewish history, traditions, religion and the Holocaust, as well as annual training for teachers on Jewish life in Lithuania and Holocaust history.
State awards are also planned for Lithuanian and foreign citizens who have made significant contributions to combating hatred.
Other measures include proposals for youth exchanges between Lithuania and Israel, joint maintenance of Holocaust memorial sites.
The plan provides for the maintenance of Holocaust sites, the creation of a monument to the Roma genocide at the Paneriai Memorial and steps to protect sites linked to vulnerable groups. It also calls for dismantling fragments of Jewish tombstones used in Soviet-era buildings and storing them at the old Jewish cemetery in Vilnius.
Towns would be encouraged to name streets, squares, schools and other public spaces after the Righteous Among the Nations – non-Jews who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. Public information campaigns aimed at combating stereotypes are also planned.
In total, the action plan includes 157 separate measures.
