Political parties are debating whether to sign new cross-party agreements on defence and demographics. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius, meanwhile, has proposed a separate agreement on upping birth rates in the country..
In 2018, political parties signed an agreement on defence committing to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP. The opposition Social Democrats did not support the deal at the time. The agreement was later renewed, six months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The parties have also signed an agreement on education, committing to increase funding, raise teachers' and lecturers' salaries, and reduce educational inequality. Similar agreements in healthcare and other policy areas have also been discussed.
Now politicians are considering two new agreements: an updated defence pact and an entirely new agreement on demographics.
President Gitanas Nausėda hopes the defence agreement will be renewed, while opposition parties want it to include a commitment to maintain defence spending above 5% of GDP after 2030.
