Attitudes of political parties towards European integration: an analysis of Lithuanian case in 1992-2016 ; Politinių partijų požiūriai į Europos integraciją: Lietuvos atvejo analizė 1992-2016 m

Abstract

This dissertation raises the following questions: how the idea of European integration has evolved and changed in Lithuania; what were the factors that shaped Lithuanian decision to join the EU; what does the EU mean for Lithuania and how is the future of the Union seen now? Given the fact that the parties are one of the most important links between the national and the European level policies - they help to ensure the representation of national interests in the European arena and shape the public opinion about the EU domestically, these questions can only be answered by in-depth studies of programmatic positions of the Lithuanian political parties. The aim of the research is to explain how the attitudes of Lithuanian parties towards European integration were evolving, while analyzing their expression and changes in political discourse over the period of two decades. By examining the party programmes in the national parliamentary elections, the quantitative scope and intensity of the European integration topic was measured, as well as the multidimensional concept of European integration, which combines three discourses on European integration (the pragmatic – national, federal Europe and post-national union), was revealed. The main domestic and foreign policy conditions that lead to parties' attitudes towards European integration were also investigated – they include ideology of the parties, position in the government, electoral support and perception of security threats.