Lithuanian soldiers patrol a road near the Lithuania-Belarus border near the village of Jaskonys, Druskininkai district some 160 km (100 miles) south of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 13, 2021. © Mindaugas Kulbis, AP
In August 2022, Lithuania completed a fence along its border with Belarus to fight illegal immigration, the government announced.
The border wall, coupled with the new measures tightening restrictions on Russian and Belarusian citizens, have raised fears, in some quarters, of a growing nationalism in Lithuania.
Most observers from Central and Eastern Europe however hesitate to apply the term “nationalism” to Lithuania because of its negative connotation. “Nationalism exists in every country; the question is how aggressive it is. Citizenship was granted to everyone when Lithuania became independent in 1990, unlike in neighbouring Latvia and Estonia,” noted Maksimas Milta, a Yale-based researcher on Eastern Europe.
Russian-speaking minorities in Latvia and Estonia struggled after both countries achieved their independence. Minorities were granted an ‘alien’ or ‘non-citizen’ status, which meant they had documents but limited rights.
Milta believes Latvia and Estonia have a deeper and more problematic divide between those who have citizenship (native speakers) and those who do not (Russian-speakers), compared to Lithuania. “In Lithuania, there is a broad consensus that it doesn’t matter what language you speak, as long as you are loyal to the state,” he said.
‘Checkpoint Charlie of today’
Russian-speakers form the second-largest linguistic group in Lithuania, accounting for 6.5% of the total population. While an overwhelming 85.3% of the population speaks Lithuanian, the country also has Polish speakers, accounting for 5.1% of the population, according to CIA figures.
Moscow’s policy of protecting its “compatriots”, a term used to describe Russian-speakers, has been a concern in the Baltic states and former Soviet republics in the post-Cold War era.
The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine increased those concerns, highlighting identity issues in Lithuania. “National identity in Lithuania is created in opposition to Russia. All political activities including education, visa policy, media policy, migration, etcetera should be seen through the prism of security and threats from Russia. From Lithuania’s perspective, we cannot treat Russia’s citizens in a democratic way since Russia is an authoritarian and totalitarian country,” said Kuczyńska-Zonik.
Some observers minimise the risk of Lithuania’s Russian-speakers and highlight a different threat which comes from an unexpected source. “The only troublesome aspect is a Polish-speaking minority in the southeastern corner of the country and represented by a political party named ‘Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania’. It may sound like an oxymoron, but they are pro-Russian and they get their orders from the Kremlin, not Warsaw. It would be a lot less problematic if it were the other way around,” said Milta.
In 2008, as part of a “nation branding” exercise, Lithuanian communication specialists came up with the slogan, “Lithuania – a brave country”. At that time, the country’s political elite hesitated to use the label, but today it seems more appropriate. Russia’s aggression has strengthened Lithuania’s position in the EU as well as its resolve to defend democratic values at a European and global level. For Emanuelis Zingeris, a Lithuanian MP and Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, “Lithuania is the Checkpoint Charlie of today, the last frontier before Russia and a bastion of resistance against autocracy.”
Source link : https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230427-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-highlights-national-identity-issues-in-lithuania
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Publish date : 2023-04-27 07:00:00
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