Roberta Metsola has been awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas for her leadership of the European Parliament. 

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda awarded the Grand Cross to Metsola for her "personal will to effectively consolidate strong support of the majority of the EP's political groups on key issues relevant to the political agenda of the EU and Lithuania".

Metsola thanked Nauseda and the people of Lithuania for the award: “It serves as a constant reminder of our duty to defend democracy, freedom and our common European values.”

Metsola receiving the award from Lithuania president Gitanas Nausėda.Metsola receiving the award from Lithuania president Gitanas Nausėda.

During her visit to Lithuania,  Metsola also received the Freedom Prize on behalf of the European Parliament. At the award ceremony in Vilnius, she thanked the Seimas, the Lithuanian Parliament for its decision to honour the European Parliament with the 2023 Freedom Prize.

The European Parliament decided to accept only the statuette, a small replica of the Freedom Monument by sculptor Juozas Zikaras, and declined the cash prize, asking the Seimas that the €11,000 is used for a good cause supporting freedom.

The European Parliament received the prize for its current efforts to consolidate democracy and human rights, for defending the right of nations to sovereignty, for its unrelenting efforts towards historical justice, and for its contribution to EU integration.

The Freedom Prize of the Republic of Lithuania is awarded every year on January 13, the Day of the Defenders of Freedom, to mark the events of January 13, 1991, when Soviet troops stormed the Lithuanian Parliament, the TV Tower, and the Lithuanian Radio and Television building, killing 11 peaceful citizens and injuring hundreds of others

Metsola's visit to Lithuania kicked off a series of visits to member states to 'Get out the vote' in the run-up to the European elections on June 8.

During her visits, the President will meet with the country's leadership and hold town hall discussions with young people and civil society representatives.

 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.