Algirdas Sysas

Algirdas Sysas was born on 5 March 1954 in Vilnius, Lithuania.

„Date of birth | 5 March 1954... Place of birth | Vilnius, Lithuania“

He is married and has two adult children and four grandchildren.

„Married with two adult children and four grandchildren“

He earned a diploma in Economics from Vilnius State University (now Vilnius University) in 1982.

„1977–1982 | Diploma in Economics,... Vilnius State University (currently... Vilnius University)“

He obtained a diploma in Radio Electronics from Vilnius Polytechnic College in 1973.

„1969–1973 | Diploma in Radio Electronics, Vilnius Polytechnic College (currently Vilnius College of Technology and Design)“

He completed his primary and secondary education in Vilnius, attending Naujoji Vilnia and Antanas Vienuolis Secondary Schools from 1961 to 1969.

„1961–1969 m. mokėsi Naujosios Vilnios, Antano Vienuolio vidurinėse mokyklose“

He was the trade union leader at the Vilma electronics factory from 1987 to 1991.

„1987–1991 | Leader, Trade Union, factory Vilma“

In 1973, he worked as a staff member at the Vilnius Research Institute of Radio Measuring Devices.

„1973 | Staff Member, Vilnius Research Institute of Radio Measuring Devices“

From 1976 to 1987, he worked at the "Vilma" electronics factory in Vilnius, holding positions from workshop bureau chief to deputy sales manager.

„1976–1987 | Bureau Manager,... Deputy Manager of Sales Department, factory Vilma“

He served as the leader of the Lithuanian Metalworkers’ Trade Union from 1991 to 1996.

„1991–1996 | Leader, Lithuanian Metalworkers’ Trade Union“

From 1993 to 2002, he was President of the Lithuanian Association of Trade Unions.

„1993–2002 | President, Lithuanian Association of Trade Unions“

He served as President of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation from 2002 until 2005.

„2002–2005 | President, Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation“

From 1973 to 1976, he served in the Soviet Navy as part of his compulsory military service.

„1973–1976 tarnavo kariniame jūrų laivyne“

In 1991, he founded the Lithuanian Metalworkers’ Trade Union.

„1991 įkūrė Lietuvos metalistų profesinę sąjungą“

In 1990, Sysas organized and chaired “Unification,” an independent trade union center, and later oversaw its merger with another union center to establish the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation.

„... he organised and chaired Unification, the independent Lithuanian Trade Union.... Sysas lead the consolidation of the Unification and another major national Trade Union Centre to become the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation“

He served as a Deputy Speaker of the Seimas during the 2012–2016 parliamentary term.

„Deputy Speaker of the Seimas“

He served as the head of the LSDP’s parliamentary faction from November 2020 to November 2021.

„2020 11–2021 11 frakcijos seniūnas“

Algirdas Sysas has been a member of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) since 2005.

„Since 2005 | Member, Lithuanian Social Democratic Party“

He was first elected to the Seimas in 1996 and has served as a Member of Parliament for eight consecutive terms, up to the 2024–2028 legislature.

„1996–2000 | Member of the 7th Seimas... 2024–2028 | Member of the 14th Seimas“

Before entering national politics, he was a member of the Vilnius City Municipal Council from 1995 to 1996.

„1995–1996 | Member, Vilnius City Municipal Council“

He later served again on the Vilnius City Municipal Council in 2000–2001.

„2000–2001 | Member, Vilnius City Municipal Council“

In 2019, he was a candidate for the chairmanship of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party.

„LSDP pirmininko rinkimuose dalyvaus... Algirdas Sysas“

He has served as Deputy Head of the LSDP’s parliamentary faction in the Seimas (as of 2019).

„Lietuvos socialdemokratų partijos (LSDP) frakcijos seniūno pavaduotojas Algirdas Sysas“

He did not formally belong to any political party until joining the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party in 2005, despite being part of its Seimas faction since 1996.

„Lietuvos socialdemokratų partijos frakcijos... narys... Nuo 2005 Lietuvos socialdemokratų partijos narys“

He was a vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party from 2009 to 2017.

„2009–17 – pirmininko pavaduotojas.“

He was the head of the LSDP’s election campaign headquarters for the 2016 parliamentary elections.

„sakė Algirdas Sysas, LSDP rinkimų štabo vadovas.“

As of 21 November 2024, he is the Chair of the Seimas Committee on Budget and Finance.

„11/21/2024 | Committee on Budget and Finance, Chair“

He was the Chair of the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labour during the 2004–2008 term.

„2004–2008 |... Chair, Committee on Social Affairs and Labour“

He briefly chaired the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labour again in 2016–2017.

„Chair (2016–2017), Committee on Social Affairs and Labour“

During his first term (1996–2000), he served as Deputy Chair of the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labour.

„1996–2000 |... Deputy Chair,... Committee on Social Affairs and Labour“

He headed the Lithuanian Seimas delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly during the 2012–2016 term.

„Head, Seimas Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe“

He was a member of the Seimas Committee on European Affairs during the 2004–2008 and 2008–2012 parliamentary terms.

„2008–2012 |... Member, Committee on European Affairs“

He served on the Seimas Commission for Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Addiction in multiple terms (including 2008–2012 and 2012–2016).

„Member, Commission for Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Addiction“

He chaired the Seimas interparliamentary relations group with Romania from 2011 to 2020.

„Tarpparlamentinių ryšių su Rumunija (2011–20)... grupių pirmininkas“

He was the head of the Seimas interparliamentary group with the Republic of South Africa from 2014 to 2016.

„Pietų Afrikos Respublika (2014–16)... grupių pirmininkas“

Since 5 December 2024, he has served as chairman of the Seimas interparliamentary relations group with the Polish Sejm and Senate.

„Lenkijos Respublikos Seimu ir Senatu (nuo 2024 12 05) grupių pirmininkas“

In each parliamentary election since 1996, he was nominated by the LSDP and won a seat via the party’s nationwide list.

„Nominated by: Lithuanian Social Democratic Party... Elected: By list“

In the 2012 parliamentary elections, Sysas was listed 8th on the LSDP’s national candidate list but ultimately ranked 6th after receiving 21,235 preferential votes from the party’s voters.

„6 | 8 | Algirdas SYSAS | 21235 | 21235“

In the 2024 Seimas elections, Algirdas Sysas ran in the single-member Verkiai constituency (Vilnius) and placed second with 40.58% of the vote, losing to TS-LKD candidate Dainius Kreivys who won outright in the first round.

„Verkių apygardoje (Vilniuje) suskaičiuoti visi balsai. Daugiausia rinkėjų balsų surinko ir rinkimus laimėjo Tėvynės sąjungos-Lietuvos krikščionių demokratų kandidatas, energetikos ministras Dainius Kreivys (57,61%). Antroje vietoje liko Lietuvos socialdemokratų partijos atstovas Algirdas Sysas (40,58%).“

In the 1995 municipal elections, Sysas secured a seat on the Vilnius City Council as a non-party trade union candidate on the Social Democratic Party’s list.

„In 1995 he was elected at Vilnius municipal elections as a trade union candidate listed on the Social Democratic Party list...“

In the 1996 Seimas elections, he won his first parliamentary seat as a non-party candidate on the LSDP’s nationwide list, where the Social Democrats obtained 9 seats in total.

„In 1996 he was listed as a non-party member on the Social Democratic Party list and was elected for the first time to the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament), where Social Democrats won 9 seats“

As of 2023, a rank-and-file Seimas member’s monthly salary was approximately €3,433.80 (gross), or about €2,077 after taxes.

„siekią 3 433,80 euro neatskaičius mokesčių (apie 2 077 eurai į rankas)“

Effective from the 2024–2028 Seimas term, the monthly salary of a Seimas committee chair was set to increase from about €4,036 (gross) to about €7,142 (gross) – roughly €4,321 after taxes.

„Seimo komitetų pirmininkai gaus 7141,6 eur. atlyginimą (4320,67 eur. „į rankas“), nors dabar jų alga „ant popieriaus“ siekė 4036,2 eur. (2441,9 eur. „į rankas“).“

According to his official declarations, Algirdas Sysas’s real estate holdings (e.g., a house valued around €75,800) remained the same from 2019 to 2023, while his liquid assets grew – for instance, his cash savings increased from about €93,706 in 2019 to €122,610 by 2023, and he acquired ~€20,214 in government bonds.

„2019 metais A. Sysas turėjo gyvenamųjų namų ar namo dalių, kurių vertė siekė 75 800 Eur... Per kelerius metus situacija visiškai nepasikeitė. <br> Tačiau žvelgiant į A. Syso pinigines lėšas, galima išvysti augimą. Juk 2019 metais jo kišenėje buvo 93 706 Eur suma, o 2023 metais ši suma padidėjo iki 122 610 Eur. Be to, 2023 metais A. Syso deklaracijoje atsirado naujas turtas – vyriausybės vertybiniai popieriai, kurių vertė siekė 20 214 Eur.“

Sysas’s wife, Irena Džiužaitė (an employee of the State Social Insurance Fund Board), likewise saw her declared assets grow: in 2019 she reported about €42,635 in savings and €1,222 in stocks, rising to ~€50,628 in cash by 2022 with stock holdings of ~€1,456, and by 2023 she also held ~€7,075 in government bonds.

„…jo žmona dirba Valstybinio socialinio draudimo fondo valdyboje. O pagal 2019 metų VMI deklaracijų duomenis, I. Džiužaitė savo kišenėje turėjo 42 635 Eur sumą bei akcijų, kurių vertė siekė 1 222 Eur.<br> 2020 metais situacija nepasikeitė, tačiau 2021 metais I. Džiužaitės turimos lėšos paaugo iki 48 974 Eur. 2022 metais ji jau turėjo 50 628 Eur piniginių lėšų, o jos akcijų vertė pakilo iki 1 456 Eur. 2023 metų deklaracijoje I. Džiužaitės piniginės lėšos jau šiek tiek sumažėjo… turimų akcijų vertė paaugo iki 1 742 Eur ir atsirado vyriausybės vertybinių popierių, vertinamų 7 075 Eur suma.“

Overall, the Sysas family’s declared net worth grew from approximately €337,218 in 2020 to €385,413 in 2023.

„2020 metais sutuoktinių turtas buvo vertinamas 337 218 Eur suma, o 2023 metais jie jau deklaravo turto už 385 413 Eur sumą.“

As Deputy Speaker of the Seimas from 2012 to 2016, Sysas would have earned roughly 25–30% more than a regular Seimas member – about €4,300 per month (gross, estimated).

„siekią 3 433,80 euro neatskaičius mokesčių (apie 2 077 eurai į rankas)“

He was a member of the Tripartite Council of the Republic of Lithuania from 1999 to 2001.

„Member, Tripartite Council of the Republic of Lithuania (1999–2001)“

He sat on the State Social Insurance Fund Board (Sodra) from 1993 to 2004.

„Member, State Social Insurance Fund Board (1993–2004)“

He was President of the Lithuanian Orienteering Federation from 1996 to 2005.

„President, Lithuanian Orienteering Federation (1996–2005)“

In 2004, he was awarded the Sports Honorary Commander’s Badge by the Department of Physical Education and Sports.

„Kūno kultūros ir sporto departamento Sporto garbės komandoro ženklas (2004)“

He also received the Olympic Star award from the Lithuanian National Olympic Committee in 2004.

„Lietuvos tautinio olimpinio komiteto Olimpinė žvaigždė (2004).“

He speaks English, Russian, and Polish.

„Foreign languages: English, Russian, Polish“

His main areas of political work are social welfare and labour relations.

„Areas of engagement: social welfare, labour relations“

He is a multiple-time Lithuanian veterans orienteering champion and has competed in several World Masters Orienteering Championships (in countries such as Czechia, Portugal, and Sweden).

„Lietuvos veteranų orientavimosi sporto čempionas ir prizininkas, daugkartinis pasaulio veteranų orientavimosi sporto čempionatų dalyvis (Čekija, Portugalija, Švedija).“

He won the World Parliamentarians Half Marathon in 2003 and 2004, and placed third in the same competition in 2006 and 2008.

„Pasaulio parlamentarų pusės maratono 1 vietos (2003, 2004), 3 vietos (2006, 2008) laimėtojas.“