Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance

At the beginning of 1994 the law on social organisations was adopted. According to this law, social organisations had to transform into political parties or simply remain social organizations. Till that time the Association of Poles in Lithuania (LLA) was a public-political organisation. Thus it had the option to act both in social and political spheres. The Polish community which did not have its own party faced the difficult task of keeping the Association and simultaneously enabling its participation in the political life of Lithuania at the same time. The creation of the party required a lot of organizational effort. In this situation the central administration of the LLA convened the 5th Extraordinary Conference of the LLA on 14 August. During the Conference the decision was adopted to transform the APL into a social organisation and support the efforts of the group initiating the establishment of a party set up under the name of the Electoral Action of the LLA. Finally, on 23 October after pressure from the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice to remove the word 'Union' from the name of the party, it was registered as the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA). During the Founding Conference of 1994 and 1997 Jan Sienkiewicz was elected as LLRA leader. In 1999 during the 3rd LLRA Conference Valdemar Tomaševski became the chairman of the organisation. Moreover, Tomaševski was elected as leader in the 4th and 5th LLRA Conferences.

The LLRA takes part in various elections – starting with municipal through parliamentary and ending with the elections to the European Parliament in 2004. During the whole period of its existence the LLRA took part in defense of the interests of the Polish minority in Lithuania. The Union of the Russians of Lithuania had cooperated with the LLRA in elections, running within a common list in 2004.

In 2016, Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania changed its name to Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance.[7]

The party's primary aim is not ideological, but the protection and enhancement of the rights of the Polish minority,[8] who make up 7% of Lithuania's population.[9] Their main policies include the restoration of land seized from Poles by the Soviet government, the improvement of the education system and allowing the use of the Polish language in schools, and giving official recognition to the Polish orthography of names.[6]

It supports a more influential political role for the Roman Catholic Church, mandatory religious education in schools,[10] and a reduction in the number of Lithuanian parliamentarians from 141 to 101 coupled to an increase in the number of local councillors. Since 2005, it unsuccessfully tried to submit bills to penalize abortion.[11]

In the past, LLRA's leader Valdemar Tomaszewski was considered to be a pro-Russian, since he had condemned the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine and had been seen wearing the Ribbon of Saint George, a symbol strongly associated with Russian nationalism and support for Vladimir Putin.[12] However, following the beginning of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tomaszewski condemned Russia's actions and co-authored a motion in the European Parliament in support of Ukraine.[13][14]

LLRA is a member of the Europe-wide anti-federalist Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR), along with both Law and Justice from Poland. It is also member of the AECR's associated political grouping, the European Conservatives and Reformists, having resisted intensive lobbying from the Polish Civic Platform to join the EPP group,[8] to which Civic Platform belong and to which LLRA had been considered likely to join.[15] Its youth wing belongs to the European Young Conservatives.

The party currently sits with fellow centre-right party Freedom and Justice and the centre-left Lithuanian Regions Party in the "Regions Political Group" in the Seimas. They have agreed an electoral alliance with the Lithuanian Russian Union.

The party has received criticism from some Polish politicians for its support and connections to Russian politicians.[16] This ceased following the beginning of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, when the party condemned Russia's actions and took a pro-Ukraine stance.[13][14]

• Jan Sienkiewicz (1994–1999)
• Waldemar Tomaszewski (1999–present)

• Category:Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance politicians

• Official website (in Lithuanian and Polish)