Lithuania has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 24 times since its debut in 1994, where "Lopšinė mylimai" performed by Ovidijus Vyšniauskas finished last, receiving "nul points". Lithuania withdrew from the contest, not returning until 1999. The sixth place of the song "We Are the Winners" performed by LT United in 2006 is Lithuania's best result in the contest. The country reached the top ten for a second time in 2016, when "I've Been Waiting for This Night" by Donny Montell finished ninth, and for the third time in 2021, finishing eighth with "Discoteque" by The Roop. The Lithuanian participant broadcaster in the contest is Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija (LRT).
Lithuania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 with the song "Strazdas", composed by Linas Rimša, with lyrics by Sigitas Geda, and performed by Aistė. The Lithuanian participating broadcaster, Lietuvos radijas ir televizija (LRT), selected its entry through the national final entitled "Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 1999. LRT returned to the contest after a four-year absence following its relegation from the 1995 contest. This was the first-ever entry performed in Samogitian in the contest.
Lithuania has sent four entries to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, first entering at the 2007 Contest in Rotterdam. Lithuania briefly returned in 2010 and 2011 however again withdrew from competing after the contest held in Yerevan, and have yet to make their return to the contest.
The Liberals' Movement is a conservative-liberal political party in Lithuania.
Mantas Adomėnas is a Lithuanian classicist and politician. He was first elected to the Seimas in 2008 and served until 2020. He earned a Ph.D. degree in classics from the University of Cambridge. His best known work is probably the article The Fluctuating Fortunes of Heraclitus in Plato.
Lithuania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Something" written and performed by Andrius Pojavis. The Lithuanian broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) organised the national final "Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka in order to select the Lithuanian entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden. The national final took place over ten weeks and involved 39 competing entries. In the final, seven entries remained and the winner was selected over two rounds of voting. In the first round, the combination of votes from a jury panel and a public vote selected the top three to qualify to the superfinal. In the superfinal, a jury vote entirely selected "Something" performed by Andrius Pojavis as the winner.
Algirdas Paleckis is a Lithuanian diplomat, politician, columnist, leader of the political movement The Dawn of Justice. Šiauliai district court convicted Paleckis for spying for Russia in July 2021. The conviction was upheld by the Lithuanian Court of Appeal in May 2022.
Edita Mildažytė is a Lithuanian journalist, documentarian and social activist, widely known as the host of the longest running talk show in Lithuanian TV history, “Bėdų turgus”, on air since 2001.
Lithuania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with the song "Happy You" written and performed by Aivaras. The Lithuanian participating broadcaster, Lietuvos radijas ir televizija (LRT), organised the national final "Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka in order to select its entry for the contest. The national final involved 15 competing entries and "We All" performed by B'Avarija was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel, votes from the venue audience and a public vote, however the entry was later disqualified due to a Lithuanian version of the song being released on CD at the end of 2001 and replaced by runner-up "Happy You" performed by Aivaras.
The Lithuanian Regions Party, also translated as the Lithuanian Party of Regions, is a political party in Lithuania. It was founded in 2018 as the Social Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania following a split of members from Social Democratic Party of Lithuania after the LSDP's decision to exit a coalition government with the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union in 2017.
Lithuania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Run with the Lions" written by Ashley Hicklin, Eric Lumiere and Pele Loriano. The song was performed by Jurij Veklenko. The Lithuanian broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) organised the national final "Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka in order to select the Lithuanian entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. The national final took place over seven weeks and involved 49 competing entries. The results of each show were determined by the combination of votes from a jury panel and a public vote. In the final, eight artists and songs remained and "Run with the Lions" performed by Jurijus was selected as the winner.
Gitanas Nausėda is a Lithuanian politician, economist, and banker who is serving as the ninth and incumbent president of Lithuania since 2019. Born in Klaipėda, Nausėda graduated from Vilnius University with an economics degree in 1987. He was director of monetary policy at the Bank of Lithuania from 1996 to 2000 and chief economist to the chairman of SEB bankas from 2008 to 2018.
The 2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election was held on 13 and 27 October 2024 to elect the 141 members of the Seimas. Parliament members were elected in 71 single-member constituencies using the two-round system, and the remaining 70 in a single nationwide constituency using proportional representation. The first round was held on 13 October and the second round on 27 October.
Ina Marija Bartaitė was a Lithuanian film actress. She is known for her roles in Peace to Us in Our Dreams and Seneca's Day, among others.
On 24 February 2022, the Lithuanian authorities declared a state of emergency in the country due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that he condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and also said that after Russia started a war against Ukraine, NATO should clearly state that Russia is a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
Ignas Vėgėlė is a Lithuanian lawyer and right-wing politician who served as president of the Lithuanian Bar Association from 2014 to 2022, as well as president of the Lithuanian Lawyers' Association from 2013 to 2016. He was a member of the right-wing Christian conservative Lithuanian Christian Democrats from 1994 and served as the party's deputy chairman of the board from 2002 to 2004, and as interim chairman of the board from 2004 to 2006. Upon the party's merger with the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, he became an independent politician.
Petras Gražulis is a Lithuanian politician, former Member of the Seimas and current member of the European Parliament. Gražulis is also the incumbent chairman of the right-wing People and Justice Union party. He is known for his political scandals and hardline opposition to LGBT rights.
Dainius Žalimas is a Lithuanian lawyer, jurist and politician who served as the chairman of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania from 2014 to 2021. He was the candidate of the Freedom Party in the 2024 Lithuanian presidential election. In the 2024 European Parliament election he won a seat for the Freedom Party.
Laurynas Kasčiūnas is a Lithuanian right-wing politician, political analyst, Member of the Seimas for the Homeland Union and Minister of National Defence of Lithuania since 25 March 2024, replacing Arvydas Anušauskas.
