Europeanisation of Lithuania Ten Years On: The Case of the Good Performer?

This will be a presentation of the preliminary results of the research project on the europeanisation of Lithuania. This research project started in March 2013 and aims to examine, assess and explain Europeanisation of Lithuania in the context of the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC), which have become EU members in 2004 and 2007. Europeanisation will be understood as domestic political, economic and institutional developments related 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 10 years experience of the membership of the EU c), experience of the current Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council, 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 relies on the tools of Europeanisation studies (in particular related to the fields of transitology, political economy of reforms and political analysis).