Lithuania in the European Union: transformation or imitation? (2013-2015)

Project idea

The proposed research project aims to examine, assess and explain Europeanization of the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC), which have become EU members in 2004 and 2007. Europeanization will be understood as domestic political, economic and institutional developmentsrelated to the EU. The analysis will be carried out at the level of polity, politics and policy distinguishing a) the identity and quality of democracy, and b)institutions and public policy aspects. This will be a systematic study motivated by a) Lithuania's public policy and institutional environment, b) need to assess experience of the membership of the EU c), preparations for the forthcoming Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council and d) need of the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe undergoing comparable challenges and e) problems related to public sector crisis in Southern Europe, in particular – in Greece.Methodologically the project will rely on the tools of Europeanization studies (in particular related to the fields of transitology, political economy of reforms and political analysis). The theoretical result will be a model allowing to assess and explain the process of domestic change, related to the pressures of theEU. The tangible project results will be 5 articles to be presented as a special issue of Politologija, a book in Lithuanian „Lithuania in the EU: transformation or simulation?", as well as at least 3 articles in English for a specialized journals. Study group will consist of 7 researchers leaded by both nationally and internationally known researchers of Europeanization.

Participating institutions

IIRPS VU, European Social, Legal and Economic Projects (ESTEP)