The People and Justice Union (Centrists, Nationalists) () is a right-wing populist political party in Lithuania. The party chairman was Petras Gražulis until March 2026, when Rimas Jonas Jankūnas, a member of the Seimas, was elected party chairman.
History
Background
The party was established as the National Centre Party (), before being renamed the Lithuanian Centre Party () in 2005.
In the parliamentary election of 2016, the Lithuanian Centre Party participated in a coalition (Anti-corruption coalition of Kristupas Krivickas and Naglis Puteikis) with the Lithuanian Pensioners' Party, and received 6.1% of the popular vote and one seat. In the 2019 Lithuanian municipal elections, the Centre Party received 1.25% of votes nationwide and won municipal council seats in Klaipeda, Varena and Alytus (increasing the number of seats from 3 to 8). During the 2019 election to the European Parliament the party received 5.13% of the national vote, but did not receive any representatives in the European Parliament.
Foundation On 26 October 2019, the Congress of the Lithuanian Centre Party decided to change the official name of the party to the Centre Party "Welfare Lithuania". The party fully supports the welfare state idea of the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda. In 2020, the party's name was changed again, this time to the Centre Party – Nationalists. In 2021 it merged with the Lithuanian Nationalist and Republican Union to become the People and Justice Union.
The party nominated Petras Gražulis in the 2024 Lithuanian presidential election, but his candidacy was rejected due to a prior impeachment.
The party operates an unofficial "Headquarter for the Reelection of Donald Trump in Lithuania", created in cooperation with members of the Lithuanian-American community. The party's chairman Gražulis is also the chairman of the headquarters.
On 7 March 2026, the Congress of the People and Justice Union (Centrists, Nationalists) elected Rimas Jonas Jankūnas, official member of the Seimas Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union parliamentary faction as the new chairman of the party. Petras Gražulis confirmed his election. This is happening in the light of Ignas Vėgėlė attempts to unite small non-parliamentary Lithuanian political parties.
Platform According to the party's platform, the People and Justice Union
It defines itself as centre. It has also been described as right-wing. It is populist and claims that the state is under the control of an oligarchic clan, opposes LGBT rights, supports small and medium business and the creation of a national commercial bank. It is soft Eurosceptic, demands the supremacy of national law over European law and describes the current system in the European Union as "a dictatorship of political correctness".
Election results Seimas Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Government 2024 Petras Gražulis 17,218 1.41 (#14) New
European Parliament Election List leader Votes % Seats +/– EP Group 2019 Antanas Guoga 64,595 5.13 (#8) New – 2024 Petras Gražulis 36,958 5.45 (#7) 1 ESN
Members of Parliaments current
Seimas +ParliamentarianPrevious MandateCurrent mandate fromConstituencyRimas Jonas Jankūnas -2024Nationwide
European Parliament +ParliamentarianPrevious MandateCurrent Mandate fromConstituencyPetras Gražulis -2024Lithuania
See also List of political parties in Lithuania
References