10 years in the EU: Lithuania’s experience

The Lithuanian Republic is in this half a year at the helm of the united Europe, presiding over the Council of the European Union. This is not just a huge responsibility, but also a test for the political maturity of the country. In this regard, it is topical to look back at the path Lithuania has covered during the European integration and discuss what advantages this country has managed to achieve from joining the EU.

NOT SUCH A LONG WAY

Lithuanian TV series Long Way in the Dunes was popular back in the Soviet times. If to apply this metaphor to the way Lithuanian and two other Baltic countries have made to the European Union, it is worth mentioning that this path turned out to be not so long, especially on historical scale. Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to announce about reestablishment of its independence. It happened on March 11, 1990. Since then the Lithuanian Republic started to restore (and partially form anew) independent branches of power, as well as social and political system of the country. Later all former Soviet republics went through the similar process, and it can be said that the process was anything but simple.

Lithuania acquired real and full independence in fall 1991. Since that moment its sovereignty was recognized by most of foreign states, and on September 17 Lithuania became a full-fledged member of the UN. Lithuania’s advantage (in this case, Latvia and Estonia’s as well), compared to other post-Soviet republics, in many things was that after regaining independence, the country did not doubt for a second about the choice of vector of its development. Reestablishment of independence and collapse of the Soviet Union meant that Lithuania returned to the European map, from which it disappeared against its will in summer 1940. However, the country had to prove that its return was not accidental.

On December 8, 1995 Lithuania applied to join the European Union. EU membership seemed quite a long-range prospect at that time. In 1997 it became clear that the EU was launching the process of its enlargement to the east, and Lithuania was not on the list of the countries to enter the first wave of enlargement, but the list included Estonia (as well as the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Hungary). However, the strengthened reforms and resolution to make everything needed to get closer to the criteria of the European Union allowed Lithuania to step on the footboard of the “European train.” Not only Lithuania showed good results, but also in 1999 it became clear that five more countries would join the previously mentioned five candidates to the EU.

Lithuania has joined the system that cancels control in the internal borders of the EU in 2007. The convenience of traveling via Europe has been first and foremost appreciated by the young generation of Lithuanians, who are mobile and in many ways Europe-oriented

On February 15, 2000 Lithuania started the official negotiations on joining the European Union. These negotiations were successfully completed on December 13, 2002. The last stage on Lithuania’s way to the EU was the nationwide referendum where the country’s residents were supposed to express their opinion concerning the future membership in the European Union. It took place on May 10-11, 2003. It must be admitted that there were some fears. Some politicians tried to play the card of EU skepticism, but the results of the referendum must have overcome the expectations of even the most enthusiastic optimists: out of 63 percent of Lithuanians who took part in the voting, 91 percent supported the country’s membership in the EU.

On May 1, 2004 Lithuania officially joined the European Union (a month prior, on March 29 Lithuania also became a NATO member, which marked another important geopolitical victory in the process of the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration). Thus, less than 10 years have passed between the moment of applying and Lithuania’s admission to the EU. However, in 1995 hardly anyone believed that the integration to the European Union would be accomplished at such a rapid pace.

THE FIRST EUROPEAN DECADE

Next May Lithuania will be able to celebrate its first decade in the EU. This is a reason to sum up, all the more so for the European Union this decade was anything but simple: the world crisis struck painfully the countries of Southern Europe. According to the latest statistics, Lithuanian residents continue to assess positively the EU and their country’s membership in this organization. The results of complex surveys of public opinion for the past year, held by the statistical office of the European Commission “Eurobarometer,” showed that 64 percent of Lithuanians consider themselves citizens not only of Lithuania, but the European Union to the full extent (22 percent do not feel fully connected with the EU, and 13 percent do not feel any connection whatsoever). On the whole, this result meets the general European one.

The results of the survey allow to say what pluses the residents of Lithuania see in the country’s EU membership, as well as what expectations do they link to this membership. So, 67 percent of respondents named the principle of free travel of people and goods in the space of the united Europe as the greatest advantage. Thirty-eight percent of respondents are satisfied with the fact that Lithuanian higher educational establishments were included in the all-European program of student exchange “Erasmus” (students who take part in this program have an opportunity to spend one semester in another EU country’s university). For 37 percent of surveyed residents of Lithuania it is important that the EU format ensures high level of standards in the sphere of social security. Among other positive factors of the European Union the Lithuanians distinguished the role of the EU in international politics, all-European regulation of the sphere of agriculture (this is an important branch of economy for Lithuania) and Euro as a single European currency. It should be noted that only five percent of respondents considered that the EU membership had not yielded any good results for Lithuania.

Money of EU Structural Funds, allotted for the projects connected with the development of infrastructure and human resource for EU’s new members, became an important help for Lithuania. Since January 1 of next year Lithuania will be taking part in the third, since the moment from its entry into the European Union, stage of allotment of funds, popularly called simply “European money.” For example, over the current period of 2007-13 six billion euros were allotted for all kinds of projects carried out in Lithuania from European Structural Funds. It is important to note that the “European money” is allotted on the grounds of competition, and its use is strictly controlled not only by Lithuania, but also Brussels. According to the valid regulations, the money, which is usually allotted, cover the most of expenditures for implementation of the planned project, but part of the money for its realization should be allotted by the state or organization involved in the project.

However, if for some part of Lithuanian population talks about the “European money” may still seem quite abstract, another plus of the EU membership is much more evident: it is the freedom of travel. Of course, even before the entry to the EU the Lithuanian passport allowed to travel in Western direction, hardly if anything can be compared with the convenience of the Schengen Area. Lithuania has joined the system that cancels control in the internal borders of the EU in 2007. The convenience of traveling via Europe has been first and foremost appreciated by the young generation of Lithuanians, who are mobile and in many ways Europe-oriented.

A DROP OF EU SKEPTICISM IN THE BARREL OF HONEY

Of course, one should understand that EU membership is not panacea for all woes. In Lithuania one can meet people who are not fond of the country’s membership in the European Union. Those must be the abovementioned five percent, who consider that the entry into the EU has not yielded to Lithuania any positive result. The arguments of this part of society are worth of attention, too. After entering the European Union, Lithuania faced the phenomenon of labor migration: a considerable share of the country’s population went to work to Great Britain, Ireland, and at the time quite successful Spain. This may be called an essential problem for the country’s demographic situation, however, the abovementioned phenomenon may also be viewed from the point of freedom of people’s choice, and, what is more important, as a possibility to realize this choice. It is also important that these people are working in EU countries legally, enjoy social guaranties, and have equal rights with the rest of EU residents.

Following the agreement with the EU, Lithuania had to shut down its Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, which looks irrational, especially in the background of the country’s desire to secure its energy independence. This must be the greatest reason for discontent with the EU membership, which is often used by EU skeptics in their speeches.

There are also many opponents of the EU in Lithuanian marginal groups, such as, for example, the nationalists, who support preserving of authenticity, dream of self-isolation trends in politics, and do not accept the motto of the united Europe: “Unity in diversity.”

The EU idea may be also not quite clear for older generation of Lithuanians, who have lived the greater part of their lives within the framework of a different union. There are attempts to draw parallels between the EU and the USSR, but on the whole they are lame, for Brussels (or Strasbourg, the city where external sessions of the European Union take place) is too evidently unlike Soviet Moscow. The disappointment of the older population is more connected not with the EU, but rather the expectations which have not come true. After Lithuania regained its independence, there was a popular expression: “In five years we will live like in Sweden.” It should be admitted, Lithuania has not reached the Swedish welfare standards, but Sweden has achieved this not in the matter five (or even 20) years, but over centuries.

In spite of this, I am sure, if Lithuanians had to make the decision about the country’s EU membership today, the majority, like 10 years ago, would have voted for the EU, and they would have done this in many ways with greater confidence and rationality.