Union of the Fighters for Lithuania

{{Infobox political party

| country = Lithuania

| name = Union of the Fighters for Lithuania

| native_name = Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjunga

| colorcode = {{party color|Union for the Fighters of Lithuania}}

| logo =

| logo_size =

| leader = Stanislovas Tomas

| headquarters = Kaunas

| foundation = {{Start date|2011|8|6}}

| dissolution = {{End date|2022|6|21}}

| split = Lithuanian Liberty Union

| ideology = Eurofederalism
Russophilia
Communitarianism
Conservatism

| position = Far-right

| international =

| membership = 1,388 members (2012)

| colours =

| seats1_title = Seimas

| seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|141|hex=yellow}}

| seats2_title = European Parliament

| seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|11|hex=yellow}}

| seats3_title = Municipal councils and mayors

| seats3 = {{Composition bar|0|1558|hex=yellow}}

| website =

}}

The Union of the Fighters for Lithuania ({{langx|lt|Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjunga}}), previously known as the Union for the President of Lithuania ({{langx|lt|Lietuvos Prezidento sąjunga}}) was a minor political party in Lithuania of an eclectic far-right political orientation which was founded in 2011. It replaced the Lithuanian Liberty Union. It did not achieve any notable electoral results and was liquidated by the Central Electoral Commission in 2022 for failing to provide a list of members.

History

=Foundation=

The Lithuanian Liberty Union was reorganized to the Union for the President of Lithuania on 6 August 2011. {{interlanguage link|Kristina Brazauskienė|lt}}, the wife of the former President of Lithuania Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas and former member of the Social Democratic Party, was elected as the new party's chairwoman.{{cite web |last1=Bulota |first1=Šarūnas |title=Lietuvos laisvės sąjunga tapo Lietuvos prezidento sąjunga, jos pirmininke išrinkta Kristina Brazauskienė |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/lietuvos-laisves-sajunga-tapo-lietuvos-prezidento-sajunga-jos-pirmininke-isrinkta-kristina-brazauskiene-56-163714 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2011-08-06}} According to Brazauskienė, the party was intended to defend the interests of common people, and she demanded to abolish severance pay for Members of the Seimas.{{cite web |last1=Juršytė |first1=Justina |title=Naujoji Lietuvos prezidento sąjungos lyderė K.Brazauskienė: ginsime paprastų žmonių interesus |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/naujoji-lietuvos-prezidento-sajungos-lydere-kbrazauskiene-ginsime-paprastu-zmoniu-interesus.d?id=48307911 |website=Delfi |language=Lithuanian |date=2011-08-06}}

However, she only remained chairwoman for a few months. After demanding the party to be renamed to the "Kristina Brazauskienė's Alliance for Unity" ({{langx|lt|Kristinos Brazauskienės vienybės sąjunga}}) and being refused, as well as opposing the election of the former chairman of the Liberty Union, Vytautas Šustauskas, as the second chairman of the party, she resigned from the position, left the party and founded the Democratic Party of Labour and Unity.{{cite web |last1=Povilaitis |first1=Nerijus |title=K.Brazauskienės ir V.Šustausko keliai išsiskyrė, partija pavadinta Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjunga, jai vadovaus V.Šustauskas |url=https://www.lrytas.lt/lietuvosdiena/aktualijos/2011/11/13/news/k-brazauskienes-ir-v-sustausko-keliai-issiskyre-partija-pavadinta-kovotoju-uz-lietuva-sajunga-jai-vadovaus-v-sustauskas-n-5445174 |website=Lrytas |language=Lithuanian |date=2011-11-13}}

=Šustauskas' leadership=

After Brazauskienė's resignation, Šustauskas was elected as the new chairman and the party was renamed to the Union of the Fighters for Lithuania. Šustauskas, a former Member of the Seimas and mayor of Kaunas, was a controversial personality known for numerous protest actions, such as the "March of the Poor" in Vilnius in 1997, and self-styled himself as "King of the Beggars".{{cite web |title=Vytautas Šustauskas, former Kaunas mayor and ‘king of beggars’, passes away |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2017864/vytautas-sustauskas-former-kaunas-mayor-and-king-of-beggars-passes-away |website=LRT |language=Lithuanian |date=2023-06-21}}

Ahead of the 2012 parliamentary election, the party was joined by several radical and pro-Russian activists. Jurij Subotin, former member of the far-left Front Party, and neo-nazi activist Visvaldas Mažonas ran as the party's candidates in single-member constituencies during the election, as well as Šustauskas himself.{{cite web |last1=Želnienė |first1=Liepa |title=Su Vytauto Šustausko "Kovotojų už Lietuvą" sąrašu Seimo rinkimuose dalyvaus radikalai Jurijus Subotinas ir Visvaldas Mažonas |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/rinkimai-2012/kandidatai/su-vytauto-sustausko-kovotoju-uz-lietuva-sarasu-seimo-rinkimuose-dalyvaus-radikalai-jurijus-subotinas-ir-visvaldas-mazonas-632-247037 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2012-09-06}} Most of the party's candidates had a criminal record.{{cite web |title=Į Seimą – "kelių ereliai" ir naminukės specialistai |url=https://www.tv3.lt/naujiena/lietuva/i-seima-keliu-ereliai-ir-naminukes-specialistai-ii-n623202 |website=TV3 |language=Lithuanian |date=2012-10-03}} The elections were unsuccessful for the party, and none of the candidates received a significant share of the vote. Šustauskas ran in the by-elections held after the death of {{interlanguage link|Julius Veselka|lt}} on 3 March 2013, but was defeated again.{{cite web |title=Balsavimo rezultatai vienmandatėse apygardose |url=https://www.vrk.lt/statiniai/puslapiai/2013_seimo_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_vienmand_apygardose/rezultatai_vienmanate_apygarda7435aktyvumasdesc1turas.html |website=Central Electoral Commission of Lithuania |language=Lithuanian |date=2013}}

Through its chairman, the party was involved in a case in the Constitutional Court in 2012. Šustauskas, who claimed that he refuses to open a bank account in any bank which is controlled by foreign capital, sued the Social Security Fund ({{interlanguage link|SoDra|lt}}) for refusing to pay his sickness benefit unless he opened a bank account. The court affirmed his position.{{cite web |last1=Karaliūnas |first1=Arūnas |title=V. Šustauskas jaučiasi pamokęs bankus |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/7199/v-sustauskas-jauciasi-pamokes-bankus |website=LRT |language=Lithuanian |date=2012-11-07}}

The party endorsed the "Yes" vote in the 2014 Lithuanian constitutional referendum, which would have prevented non-Lithuanian citizens from holding any land in the country, and called for the usage of "forbidden means" to protect Lithuanian soil from foreign ownership. It compared Lithuania's political situation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the Russian sale of Alaska.{{cite web |title=V.Šustausko Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjunga žada ginti Lietuvos žemę net ir "neleistinomis priemonėmis" |url=https://alkas.lt/2013/04/12/v-sustausko-kovotoju-uz-lietuva-sajunga-zada-ginti-lietuvos-zeme-net-ir-neleistinomis-priemonemis/ |website=Alkas |language=Lithuanian |date=2013-04-12}}

Jurij Subotin attempted to run in the 2014 presidential election as an independent candidate.{{cite web |title=J. Subotinas siekia tapti Lietuvos prezidentu |url=https://www.lrytas.lt/lietuvosdiena/aktualijos/2014/02/06/news/j-subotinas-nori-tapti-lietuvos-prezidentu-665087 |website=Lietuvos rytas |language=Lithuanian |date=2014-02-06}} He distanced himself from the party. In 2016, during a protest in Vilnius against corruption and NATO membership organized by the party, Subotin physically attacked Šustauskas.{{cite web |title=Prie Seimo kilo muštynės: susikibo Šustauskas ir Subotinas |url=https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/50079207/prie-seimo-kilo-mustynes-susikibo-sustauskas-ir-subotinas/ |website=Alfa.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2016-09-15}}

The party sold its offices in Liberty Boulevard, Kaunas for 100 thousand euros in 2018.{{cite web |title=Už ženkliai mažesnę kainą parduota buvusi V. Šustausko būstinė |url=https://kaunas.kasvyksta.lt/2018/04/25/miestas/uz-zenkliai-mazesne-kaina-parduota-buvusi-v-sustausko-bustine/ |website=Kas vyksta Kaune |language=Lithuanian |date=2018-04-25}} It struggled with activity, and Šustauskas offered the position of chairman to Signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania and right-wing politician Zigmas Vaišvila in 2016.{{cite web |title=ytautas Šustauskas paskelbė paliekantis partijos vairą |url=https://www.lrytas.lt/lietuvosdiena/aktualijos/2023/08/25/news/l-zaikauska-kaltinimai-vejasi-ir-moldovoje-apie-galima-priekabiavima-prabilo-kisiniovo-aktore-28138164 |website=Lrytas |language=Lithuanian |date=2016-05-13}}

=Attempted reformation to the Conservative Party=

In November 2018, media in Lithuania received an announcement from an alleged "Conservative Party of Lithuania" ({{langx|lt|Lietuvos konservatorių partija}}), which was planned to be established as a classical conservative party. The party's founders and members were not revealed in the announcement.{{cite web |title=Naujos konservatorių partijos įkūrėjai nerodo savo veidų |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/naujos-konservatoriu-partijos-ikurejai-nerodo-savo-veidu-56-1060996 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2018-11-17}} In January 2019, it was announced that attorney Stanislovas Tomas registered in Russia was elected chairman of the Conservative Party, which was a planned reorganization of the Union of the Fighters for Lithuania. It was claimed that he was not a lawyer, but actually he was registered as a lawyer in Russia.https://www.komentaras.lt/aktualu/advokatas-stanislovas-tomas-ne-apsisaukelis/56642/ It also shared the alleged electoral program of the "List of Attorney Stanislovas Tomas" public election committee, which intended to run in the 2019 European Parliament elections.{{cite web |last1=Vireliūnaitė |first1=Lauryna |title=Po "naujųjų konservatorių" vėliava slėpėsi žinomi marginalai |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/po-naujuju-konservatoriu-veliava-slepesi-zinomi-marginalai-56-1093326 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-01-28}}

Stanislovas Tomas' attempt to rename the party and register a new party statute was not recognized by the Ministry of Justice in March 2019 due to the vagueness and lack of clarity of the statute.{{cite web |title=Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjungai neleista pasivadinti Lietuvos konservatorių partija |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/kovotoju-uz-lietuva-sajungai-neleista-pasivadinti-lietuvos-konservatoriu-partija-56-1121904 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-03-27}}

=Tomas' leadership=

Stanislovas Tomas' leadership led to a growth in party activity. A former member of Order and Justice, he was known for falsely claiming to be an attorney and being banned from representing individuals in the European Court of Human Rights after serving as the lawyer of Rolandas Paksas in Paksas vs. Lithuania despite not being accredited.{{cite web |title=Apsimetėlis advokatas – žmogus, apgynęs R. Paksą Strasbūre |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/139350/apsimetelis-advokatas-zmogus-apgynes-r-paksa-strasbure |website=LRT |language=Lithuanian |date=2016-06-09}} He also claimed to have earned several doctorates, know 15 languages, memorized the Quran and that he was a former member of the Socialist Party of France and Labour Party of the United Kingdom.{{cite web |title=Stanislovo Tomo biografija |url=https://stanislovastomas.eu/biografija/ |website=Stanislovo Tomo svetainė |language=Lithuanian}}

The party organized a public election committee, the "List of Attorney Stanislovas Tomas", to contest the 2019 European Parliament elections. During the election campaign, he requested 50 eur from each pensioner with the promise of using his powers in the European Parliament to equalize old age pensions in Lithuania with the European Union average, which was investigated as a potential case of fraud.{{cite web |last1=Vireliūnaitė |first1=Lauryna |title=Į Europos Parlamentą besiveržiančio Stanislovo Tomo rinkliava: už pažadus išauginti pensijas – po 50 eurų |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/i-europos-parlamenta-besiverziancio-stanislovo-tomo-rinkliava-uz-pazadus-isauginti-pensijas-po-50-euru-56-1127944 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-04-12}} Tomas alleged that it is "his profit, and he is able to use it however he likes - even on prostitutes". The committee did not collect the required number of signatures to register for the election.{{cite web |title=S.Tomo komitetas nesurinko reikiamų parašų dalyvauti rinkimuose |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/s-tomo-komitetas-nesurinko-reikiamu-parasu-dalyvauti-rinkimuose-56-1132498 |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-04-18}}

During the campaign, on 8 April 2019, Tomas smashed the commemorative plaque dedicated to Nazi collaborator Jonas Noreika in Vilnius after a months-long national debate over its removal.{{cite web |last1=Pocytė |first1=Kristina |title=Kandidatas į EP prisipažino sudaužęs garsiąją atminimo lentą generolui Vėtrai |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/kandidatas-i-ep-prisipazino-sudauzes-garsiaja-atminimo-lenta-generolui-vetrai.d?id=80836689 |website=Delfi |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-04-08}} He evaded arrest and a fine for destroying public property by fleeing to Austria.{{cite web |title=Generolo Vėtros atminimo lentą išniekinęs Stanislovas Tomas areštinės neišvengs, nors ir tikisi Austrijos palaikymo |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/generolo-vetros-atminimo-lenta-isniekines-stanislovas-tomas-arestines-neisvengs-nors-ir-tikisi-austrijos-palaikymo.d?id=84982711 |website=Delfi |language=Lithuanian |date=2020-08-13}}

In May 2020, he released a proclamation in which he called for a "constitutional revolution" and the lynching of all members of the "Seimas of pederasts". He named far-right blogger Kazimieras Juraitis as the next chairman of the party.{{cite web |title=Stanislovas Tomas: "Metas sudeginti pederastų Seimą" |url=https://bukimevieningi.lt/stanislovas-tomas-metas-sudeginti-pederastu-seima-video/ |website=Būkime vieningi |language=Lithuanian |date=2020-05-24}} However, no transfer of leadership legally took place.

=Liquidation=

Several politicians, including Šustauskas, pro-Russian former member of Klaipėda city council Vyacheslav Titov and convicted fraudster and anti-LGBT activist Antanas Kandrotas, attempted to run in constituencies in the 2020 parliamentary election.{{cite web |last1=Želnienė |first1=Liepa |title=Su kovotojų už Lietuvą vėliava į Seimą nori V.Šustauskas ir priesaiką sulaužęs V.Titovas |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/po-kovotoju-uz-lietuva-veliava-i-seima-nori-v-sustauskas-ir-priesaika-sulauzes-v-titovas-56-1359864 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2020-08-12}} These attempts were unsuccessful due to an inability to collect the necessary signatures or an active criminal record.

The party failed to provide a list of members in 2021.{{cite web |last1=Skėrytė |first1=Jūratė |title=Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjungai gresia likvidavimas |url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/kovotoju-uz-lietuva-sajungai-gresia-likvidavimas.d?id=86603005 |website=Delfi |language=Lithuanian |date=2021-03-02}} After failing to do so a second time, it was liquidated on 21 June 2022.{{cite web |title=LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS POLITINIŲ PARTIJŲ SĄRAŠAS |url=https://tm.lrv.lt/uploads/tm/documents/files/dokumentai/Politinės%20organizacijos/PP%20sarasas%20su%20archyvu%202023-02-15.pdf}}

Political positions

The party largely lacked defined political positions, but generally positioned itself as a populist, anti-establishment far-right party.

The party endorsed the "Yes" vote in the 2014 Lithuanian constitutional referendum and called for the usage of "forbidden means" to protect Lithuanian soil from foreign ownership.{{cite web |title=V.Šustausko Kovotojų už Lietuvą sąjunga žada ginti Lietuvos žemę net ir "neleistinomis priemonėmis" |url=https://alkas.lt/2013/04/12/v-sustausko-kovotoju-uz-lietuva-sajunga-zada-ginti-lietuvos-zeme-net-ir-neleistinomis-priemonemis/ |website=Alkas |language=Lithuanian |date=2013-04-12}} It opposed Lithuania's membership in NATO.{{cite web |title=Prie Seimo kilo muštynės: susikibo Šustauskas ir Subotinas |url=https://www.alfa.lt/straipsnis/50079207/prie-seimo-kilo-mustynes-susikibo-sustauskas-ir-subotinas/ |website=Alfa.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2016-09-15}}

In 2019, Stanislovas Tomas shared the alleged electoral program of the "List of Attorney Stanislovas Tomas" public election committee on his Facebook account, which intended to run in the 2019 European Parliament elections and which demanded the European Union to punish the President of Lithuania and the Seimas for human rights violations as well as immediately abolish the Lithuanian Armed Forces and all other national armed forces in the European Union, replacing them with a European army.{{cite web |last1=Tomas |first1=Stanislovas |title=Electoral Program of the List of Attorney Stanislovas Tomas |url=https://m.facebook.com/LietuvosAdvokatas/photos/a.1049346665226656/1077528699075119/?type=3&p=4 |website=Facebook |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-02-28}} The program was signed by the members of the list with blood.

In 2019, it described itself as "communal conservative".{{cite web |last1=Vireliūnaitė |first1=Lauryna |title=Po "naujųjų konservatorių" vėliava slėpėsi žinomi marginalai |url=https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/po-naujuju-konservatoriu-veliava-slepesi-zinomi-marginalai-56-1093326 |website=15min.lt |language=Lithuanian |date=2019-01-28}}

In 2020, the party chairman released a proclamation in which he called for a "constitutional revolution" and the lynching of all members of the "Seimas of pederasts".{{cite web |title=Stanislovas Tomas: "Metas sudeginti pederastų Seimą" |url=https://bukimevieningi.lt/stanislovas-tomas-metas-sudeginti-pederastu-seima-video/ |website=Būkime vieningi |language=Lithuanian |date=2020-05-24}}

One of the party's attempted candidates in the 2020 parliamentary election, Antanas Kandrotas, also known as "Cellophane" ({{langx|lt|"Celofanas"}}), was one of the leaders of the protests of the Lithuanian Family Movement and anti-vaccination protests.{{cite web |last1=Kuznecovaitė |first1=Asta |title=Celofano šuoliai: nuo kalinio – iki protestuotojų vėliavnešio |url=https://kaunas.kasvyksta.lt/2023/08/19/lietuvoje/celofano-suoliai-nuo-kalinio-iki-protestuotoju-veliavnesio/ |website=Kas vyksta Kaune |language=Lithuanian |date=2023-08-19}}

Electoral results

=Municipal=

class=wikitable style="text-align: right;"
Election

! Votes{{efn|Municipal council election votes.}}

! %

! Council seats

! Mayors

! +/–

align=center|2015

| 1,525

| 0.10 (#19)

| {{Composition bar|0|1473|hex={{party color|Samogitian Party}}}}

| {{Composition bar|0|60|hex={{party color|Samogitian Party}}}}

|

{{notelist}}

=2012 parliamentary (constituencies only)=

class=wikitable style="text-align: right;"
Constituency

! Candidate

! Votes

! %

! Result{{cite web |title=Balsavimo rezultatai vienmandatėse apygardose |url=https://www.vrk.lt/statiniai/puslapiai/2012_seimo_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_vienmand_apygardose/rezultatai_vienmand_apygardose1turas.html |website=Central Electoral Commission of Lithuania |language=Lithuanian |date=2012}}

align=center|Zarasai-Visaginas

| align=center|Jurij Subotin

| 551

| 3.37 (#8)

| {{no2|Defeated}}

align=center|Kalniečiai

| align=center|Vytautas Šustauskas

| 291

| 1.89 (#8)

| {{no2|Defeated}}

align=center|Šilainiai

| align=center|Visvaldas Mažonas

| 261

| 1.31 (#14)

| {{no2|Defeated}}

align=center|Fabijoniškės

| align=center|Tirkišas Amanovas

| 63

| 0.27 (#16)

| {{no2|Defeated}}

=2013 by-election=

class=wikitable style="text-align: right;"
Constituency

! Candidate

! Votes

! %

! Result{{cite web |title=Balsavimo rezultatai vienmandatėse apygardose |url=https://www.vrk.lt/statiniai/puslapiai/2013_seimo_rinkimai/output_lt/rezultatai_vienmand_apygardose/rezultatai_vienmanate_apygarda7435aktyvumasdesc1turas.html |website=Central Electoral Commission of Lithuania |language=Lithuanian |date=2013}}

align=center|Ukmergė

| align=center|Vytautas Šustauskas

| 401

| 3.66 (#8)

| {{no2|Defeated}}

References