Lithuania

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Konstitucinis teismas; Konstitucinė politika; Konstitucinė teise; Perėjimas į demokratiją; Posocializmas; Post-socializmas; Constitutional courts; Constitutional law; Constitutional politics; European Union; Lithuania; Post-socialism; Transition to democracy; Europos Sąjunga (European Union).

ENThis chapter analyzes constitutional politics in post-socialist Lithuania from 1990 until 2014. It starts off with a brief overview of the country’s constitutional history and the post-socialist constitution-making after 1990. Then follows a detailed description of all successful and unsuccessful amendments to the 1992 constitution. The central topic of the constitutional debates in Lithuania was the ownership of land. Another interesting aspect regarding Lithuania’s constitutional development is the special role of the constitutional court. In sum, it will be shown that, overall, Lithuania has successfully managed its transition from a socialist Soviet republic to a stable democracy. In this process, clear external influences could be detected, most notably from the European Union. [From the publication]

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