Was the first European Union forged in Poland and Lithuania?
5
Jan Matejko s painting depicting the adoption of the May 3 Constitution in 1791. / Wikimedia
Vilnius and Warsaw are marking the 230th anniversary of the May 3 Constitution of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. What do we know about the document lauded as the first written constitution in Europe?
LRT English breaks it down in four questions together with Dr Eligijus Raila, a historian and associate professor at Vilnius University.
What is the May 3 Constitution and why does it matter?
The Constitution of May 3, 1791 was adopted by the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a joint nation founded in the 16th century, bringing the countries towards parliamentarism and constitutional monarchy. Critically, it also introduced equality between nobility and townsfolk.