On Europe Day (9 May), Lithuania organised a Democracy Knowledge Contest (Demokratijos žinių konkursas) for high school students to promote understanding of law-making processes, democratic foundations, and the history of the Lithuanian state and parliament; and to foster critical thinking and civic engagement, particularly among young people.

The contest involved more than 13 000 participants throughout the spring and culminated in a simulation in the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas).

Benediktas Rauktys, who took up the position of Speaker of the Seimas in the simulation, shared his thoughts on democracy and the contest:

“Democracy is our most powerful weapon against the world's greatest atrocities. That is why, in the face of global turmoil, an unpredictable environment, and, most importantly, declining interest in politics among young people, reversing these trends is more important than ever. The Democracy Knowledge Contest not only lets us capitalise on our interest in politics by giving a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in the legislative process but also plays a pivotal role in encouraging and empowering youth to discover the foundations of modern Lithuanian democracy. “

Addressing mainly high school students (i.e. the future politicians), community leaders, journalists, diplomats, civil society activists, and human rights defenders, the event has become one of the key civic education initiatives of the Seimas, extending democratic education beyond traditional classroom settings.

First-place winner Martyna Daukšaitė says that young people contribute to strengthening democracy in Lithuania from an early age:  

“I believe that when we talk about democracy, we see it as our future. We want to continue moving forward on the democratic path in Lithuania and contribute to it as actively as possible through various initiatives. In fact, many young people take part in the activities of non-governmental youth organisations, and in this way, from an early age, they contribute to their country and to strengthening democracy “.

The focus on youth and on learning about democracy is an important priority to the Council of Europe and the Secretary General, including through the New Democratic Pact for Europe.

Addressing the contest participants in the Seimas, Ambassador Andrius Krivas, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the Council of Europe, underlined three areas in which the Council of Europe, through its convention system, creates and implements European regional standards; democracy, which is inseparable from the rule of law and human rights.

“The winners of the top three places of the contest will have the opportunity to visit the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and observe first-hand the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, to meet with the organisation’s leaders and to obtain in-depth knowledge about the work of its institutions, including  the European Court of Human Rights, the Venice Commission, the Commissioner for Human Rights, and others. They will also learn about how the Council of Europe supports Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal aggression, and about the place, objectives and priorities of Lithuania in the work of the Council.”

The event has been organised since 2022 by the Office of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and supported by the national public broadcaster LRT (Lithuanian National Radio and Television).