Local self-government in Lithuania

Abstract

Lithuania is a parliamentary democracy and a decentralised unitary state. In 2018 on 16th of February country celebrated 100 years of the birth of modern Lithuania. In 1918 there was established an independent, modern state of people, which had to be ruled by democratically elected government. Since June 1940 country was occupied by the Soviet Union. Lithuania restored its independence on 11 March 1990. Nowadays Lithuania has the population of 2.8 million (2019) and the territory of 65 300 km2. Lithuania has got one tier local government system. It consists of 60 local authorities or municipalities. Lithuania has constitutional basics of local government, local government are regulated in the Law on Local Government, and European Charter of Local Government was signed in 1996 and ratified in 1999 without reservations. The chapter present brief historical development of local self-government in Lithuania, describes constitution, legal, administrative, financial and other local self-government issues, paying attention to such local self-government dimensions as responsibility, right to associate and protection. Also there are presented future challenges of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in country.