Lithuanian Authorities‘ Response to the Poly-Crisis During the Period 2021-2025 (LIVIA)

Project idea

In recent years, many European countries, including Lithuania, have encountered such transboundary crises as the crisis of illegal migration and refugees from the war in Ukraine, the crisis of increasing energy prices or difficulties in implementing economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus. As these crises overlap in time and space and are characterised by negative complementarities and synergies, they can be considered as a single poly-crisis. Although the individual specifics of (national) crisis management are well known, our knowledge about interconnected transboundary crises remains shallow. Therefore, it becomes crucial to analyse the occurrence of such crises and their implementation results, their multiple effects on public management, the economy, and public life, as well as the required policy response and the management of such crises at all stages.

The purpose of the LIVIA project is to prepare an analytical model for the assessment of poly-crises and, after applying it to the analysis of the crises that took place in Lithuania during the political term of the 18th Government, to assess how these crises constrained or facilitated the Government‘s response. The project brings together the insights of multiple disciplines (public policy and public administration, political economy and economics, and international economic relations), combining the results of the existing literature on public policy mix, crisis management and collaborative governance. The object of the empirical study is the poly-crisis that started in 2021 and its three main critical elements (illegal migration and the flow of refugees; the crisis of energy prices; and difficulties in implementing economic sanctions) in Lithuania. A set of recommendations for the Lithuanian Government and public management institutions regarding the management of poly-crises, addressing systemic threats and strengthening organisational resilience will be the main practical benefit of the study.

Conference papers:

EGPA 2023 Conference – “Steering the European Union through poly-crises storms: The Role of Public Administration”, 5-8 September 2023. Paper – “The impact of the recent poly-crisis on public-sector governance: strategic and operational responses of Lithuanian authorities”. More information. Presentation slides.