Speech by President von der Leyen at the parliamentary session on the 20th anniversary of Lithuania's accession to the European Union

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Madam Speaker,

Honourable Members of the Seimas and the European Parliament,

Dear people of Lithuania, 

It is such an honour to celebrate this special day with you, here in the House of Lithuanian democracy. This is the place where you said no to occupation. This is the place where you re-established your independence. It is from here that you led your nation back to the centre of Europe and Euro-Atlantic security. It is a house of wisdom and vision. And this is also the place where the people of Lithuania stood up and stood united for freedom. It was the night of 13 January 1991. Soviet tanks and troops were advancing across Vilnius, ready to storm this building and stamp out your democracy. But over 50,000 people gathered here, from all across Lithuania. They stood shoulder to shoulder – singing, and chanting, and praying – through the night and until the morning. Their only weapon was their love for freedom and they held back the most fearsome army on earth. These are the people of Lithuania. This is the spirit of Lithuania: fearless and free.

And then, just over a decade later, it was once again the people who moved the country forward. Over 90% of Lithuanians voted in favour of joining the European Union. And that choice has transformed not only your country, but all of Europe. Because with your accession, our Union went back to its roots. Your history of resistance has made the Lithuanian nation unique. Unique in your love for freedom, in your support to other freedom-loving nations, and in your aversion to any form of coercion. And since you joined, you reminded us what the European project has always been about. It is about our continent's path towards freedom. It is the story of democracies, young and old, getting stronger together. So Europe Day is for you.

Today, we celebrate the people who built our Union, and those who keep building it every day. Today we celebrate you, my dear Lithuanian friends, and all Europeans who bring our values to life. Thank you, Lithuania. Labai Ačiū.

Your country had always been at the centre of European history. You always nurtured close ties not only with your immediate neighbours, but with Scandinavia, Central Europe, and further away to the Black Sea. The Iron Curtain had made all of this impossible. But now, Lithuania has reclaimed its rightful place in Europe. And it has been a homecoming. Because even if you are on the geographical frontier of our Union, you are at the heart of Europe's life. You have become a strong player in Brussels and a strong partner for all other capitals. You are movers and shakers in European politics. And your 20 years in our Union are a great success story. A European success story, and a Lithuanian success story, because you have made it happen with your vision and dreams. This is a country of innovators and entrepreneurs. And your talent is now recognised across the continent. Your start-ups have expanded well beyond your borders, and conquered European markets. Your capital, Vilnius, is a growing tech hub, which attracts people and investments from abroad. Your art, from literature to opera, has taken centre stage all across Europe. And as a result, your GDP has jumped from 50% of the EU average, to almost 90%. Lithuania has grown faster than any other new member of our Union. You have made the most of our Single Market. But you have also shown that Europe is much more than an economic area for you. It is a family, that travels together towards freedom.

In these years, Lithuania has constantly shown solidarity to the rest of Europe. For instance, you were the very first to share vaccines with our neighbours in the Eastern Partnership. And you have always been ready to fight not only for your freedom, but for that of all Europeans. You have been staunch supporters of Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, already since the Orange Revolution and Maidan. And since the full-scale invasion has begun in 2022, your solidarity has been astonishing. There is one story above all that shows how much you care for Ukraine's fight for freedom. It is the story of a Lithuanian journalist, called Konstantin Gudauskas. He was in the Kyiv's region on the first days of the invasion, when Russian troops arrived. Thanks to his dual nationality – Lithuanian and Kazak – he was allowed to move out of Russian-occupied territory. But he did not flee. Instead, he decided to travel back and forth with his car, risking his own life, to save as many people as possible. He defied Russian bombs and checkpoints, and he brought over 200 Ukrainian civilians to safety. And now they call him ‘the angel of Bucha'.

His story is one of unbelievable bravery. But there are so many other acts of solidarity by the people of Lithuania for their Ukrainian friends. You opened your homes to thousands of refugees and gave them full access to your economy. You crowdfunded to buy drones and radars for the Ukrainian armed forces. And in proportion to GDP, Lithuania is one of the largest donors to Ukraine in the whole world. You are leading Europe by the power of your example. And today you are a true inspiration for all Europeans.

Honourable Members,

For many years, Lithuania warned Europe about the dangers of Russia. After 2014, you told us that Putin would simply not stop. And Europe should have listened. It took us too long to wake up to the threat of Putin's Russia. But today our Union stands firmly at your side, for freedom and against aggression. When you decided to break free from Russia's energy blackmail, our Union stepped in, with unprecedented funding for clean energy, storage and interconnectors. I was here in Lithuania, together with Jens Stoltenberg, when Belarus tried to destabilise you with a hybrid attack. Those were difficult months. Lukashenko tried to divide us. But Europe stood united, and together we tackled the crisis. And now we are joining forces again to boost our defence industry, with legislation here in the Seimas that resonates with our European Defence Industrial Strategy. Because your defence is Europe's defence. Your freedom is Europe's freedom. Today more than ever, Lithuania can count on Europe. Just like Europe can count on you.

Honourable Members,

Dear friends,

This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way. That is how your path towards independence began: with a human chain spanning for almost 700 kilometres across the three Baltic States. It was a powerful symbol of unity in your desire for freedom. And it still is a powerful symbol today. Our continent's path towards freedom will continue until all the people of Europe are masters of their own destiny, until our Union is finally complete.

Happy Europe Day to you all.

Long live Lithuania and long live Europe.