We are a Socialdemocratic Party of Lithuania with the official name

Lithuanian Social Democratic Union (LSDS),

which started the legacy of the 1896 in the Lithuanian territory founded Social Democratic Party. Our party was actively involved in the obtainment of independence in  1918 and 1990.

With the aim in order to win the parliamentary elections in 2000,  unfortunately, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) has entered into a coalition with  the Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LDDP), which was the renamed Communist Party of Lithuania (LKP). In 2001 it entered into  an union with the LDDP party.

The newly built party - dominated by former communists -  named itself  unfairly with  the honorable former name of the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP).

One part of the members of our party who carefully observed  the socialdemocratic principles have rejected an association with the ex- communists and established the group „Social Democracy 2000“ . It  was an independent political organization and later changed the name into Lithuanian Social Democratic Union (LSDS). Thus there are currently two  political parties under the social democratic name: the government majority visual Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) - dominating by the ex-communists (since the elections of Parliament in October 2008 is she no more in the government but in opposition) - and we, not represented in Parliament, the Social Democratic Union of Lithuania (LSDS).

LSDS is currently the only political organization of the country, a socially oriented and social democratic policies consistently representing, whose main aim is the achievement of a welfare state, including deletion of poverty and social inequality in Lithuania. According to the EU definition the poverty exceeds in Lithuania 17 percent.

It is regrettable that for the past LSDP coalition government with other so called left parties the social policy was a strange word  and they especially supported the interests of big capital. This fact was also affirmed by allegations of the President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus who confirmed that the Government did not take effective measures to combat poverty and the influence of powerful capitalists on policy making. As well as in the past so probably also in the next future in Lithuania there shall exist  a synthesis between the capital and the former communists.

The roots of the current LSDP are not in traditional Lithuanian Social Democrats who 1896 founded the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, but in A. Sniečkus, J. Paleckis and other former Lithuanian communists who collaborated with Moscow and helped to „legalize“ the occupation of Lithuania.

LEADERSHIP of  LSDS

Chairman     -         Arvydas Akstinavičius

First Vice-chairs -  Dainius Petras Paukšte.

Vice-chairs  -         Mrs. Violeta Linkiene.

                               Pranas Noreika

                               Gediminas Akelaitis

                               Visvaldas Nekrašas

Secretary General  -     Mrs. Rima Matijošiene.

Contact possibilities:

Lietuvos Socialdemokratų Sąjunga (LSDS)

Vilniaus g. 22

LT- 01119 Vilnius

Lithuania

Email: info@lsds.lt

Tel./Fax: +370 5 2122157