STUDY UNEQUAL DEMOCRACIES WHO DOES(NOT) HAVE A SEAT IN THE LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT? Liutauras Gudžinskas and Karolis Jonutis September 2024 In Lithuania, the parliament is among the least trusted institu­­tion. The better it represents the people in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, class, education level, the more favourable the circum­stances for effective communica­tion and mutual understanding between citizens and lawmakers. The Parliament in Lithuania is highly elitist in terms of both education and class. Around 90% of MPs come from the upper-­service class, with higher-grade managers and administrators comprising two-thirds of the legis­lature. Although the share of women and youth is gradually increasing, it remains lower in the Seimas than in society. The proportion of female and young MPs should be increased through electoral quotas, public education, and mobilization at the party level. Abolishing single-man­date districts would also contribute to a more diverse parliament. To balance the parliamentary overrep­resentation of the upper social strata, practices of deliberative democracy should be established.