Abstract
This chapter is designed to shed some light on the challenges and changes in the welfare system of Lithuania during and after the recent financial and economic crisis, which was felt most in Lithuania during the years of 2009 and 2010. The major questions are: Which reforms were implemented during the global crisis and what consequences have they generated for the future development of the welfare system in Lithuania? What are the major challenges for the Lithuanian welfare system in the twenty-first century?
The findings of this paper show that the crisis has had a remarkable impact on the well-being of the Lithuanian population (poverty and unemployment have increased) and on the social policy design: important cutbacks were implemented in pension insurance, short-term and family benefits and unemployment insurance.
The Lithuanian welfare state is facing many challenges of the twenty-first century: increasing outward migration, ageing of the population, youth unemployment and long-term unemployment. As a consequence of all these challenges the fiscal sustainability of the social protection system is threatened. The fiscal and economic crisis has intensified the fiscal problems of the social protection and social security was reformed in reducing the state’s responsibility but increasing the individual/family’s responsibility in meeting demands of the increasing social risks. This paper suggests that the liberal approach is taking strong root in the Lithuanian welfare state system.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
This was also supported by a study of Guogis et al. (2000).
- 2.
Persons whose working capacity was below 20 % were not previously included in the list of additionally supported unemployed people and were considered to be unable to work.
References
Aidukaite, J. (2006). The formation of social insurance institutions of the Baltic states in the post-socialist era. Journal of European Social Policy, 16(3), 259–270.
Aidukaite, J. (2009a). Transformation of welfare systems in the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In A. Cerami & P. Vanhuysse (Eds.), Post-communist welfare pathways: Theorizing social policy transformations in CEE. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Aidukaite, J. (2009b). The welfare system of Lithuania. In K. Schubert, S. Hegelich, & U. Bazant (Eds.), The handbook of European welfare systems (pp. 294–309). New York: Routledge.
Aidukaite, J. (2011). Welfare reforms and socioeconomic trends in the ten new EU member states of central and eastern Europe. Journal of Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 44(3), 211–219.
Aidukaite, J. (2014). Transformation of the welfare state in Lithuania: Towards globalization and Europeanization. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 47(1), 59–69.
Aidukaitė, J., Bogdanova, N., & Guogis, A. (2012). Gerovės valstybės raida Lietuvoje: mitas ar realybė? (Creation of the welfare state in Lithuania: myth or reality?). Vilnius: Lithuanian Social Research Centre.
Aidukaite, J., & Genelyte, I. (2012, August 23–25). Social policy and migration in the Baltic state. Paper presented at the International Sociological Association’s research committee on poverty, social welfare and social policy (RC19) annual meeting, Oslo.
Ainsaar, M., & Stankuniene, V. (2011). Demographic cost of transition and the future of the Baltic states. In M. Lauristin (Ed.), Estonian human development report. Baltic ways(s) of human development: Twenty years on. Tallinn: Eesti Koostoo Kogu.
Barcevičius, E., Žvalionytė, D., Repečkaitė, D., Martinaitis, Ž., & Nakrošis, V. (2008). Lietuvos gyventojų migracijos tendencijos ir grįžimą skatinantys veiksniai. Ekonominės migracijos reguliavimo strategijos priemonės ir jų efektyvumo įvertinimas. Vilnius: Socialinės apsaudos ir darbo ministerija.
Casey, B. H. (2004). Pension reform in the Baltic states: Convergence with “Europe” or with “the World”? International Social Security Review, 57(1), 19–45.
Dudzinska, K. (2013). The Baltic states’ success story in combating the economic crisis: Consequences for regional cooperation within the EU and with Russia. PISM Policy Paper, 6(54), 1–6.
European Commission. (2012). Ageing report 2012 economic and budgetary projections for the 27 EU member states (2010–2060). European Economy. Brussels. Accessed July 8, 2014, from http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2012/pdf/ee-2012-2_en.pdf
Gražulis, V., & Gruževskis, B. (2009). Characteristics of Lithuanian labour market policy development. Viešoji politika ir administravimas, 28, 40–51.
Gross, P. B., & Dobravolskas, A. (2009). Annual national report 2009 pensions, health and long-term care Lithuania May 2009. Accessed February 11, 2013, from http://socialprotection.eu/files_db/311/asisp_ANR09_Lithuania.pdf
Gruževskis, B. (2011/9). Darbo, gyventojų užimtumo bei darbo rinkos politikos tyrimai Lietuvos raidos kontekste. In B. Gruževskis & A. Šileika (Eds.), Socialinė raida ir politika. Aktualūs socialinės politikos klausimai. Vilnius: Lietuvos socialinių tyrimų centro darbo ir socialinių tyrimų institutas.
Gudaitis, T. (2010). Pensijų sistemos reformos rezultatų vertinimas (Lietuvos atvejis) (Evaluation of Lithuanian pension system reform). Daktaro disertacija. Socialiniai mokslai, Ekonomika (04 S). Vilnius: Vilniausuniversitetas.
Guogis, A. (2011). The development of soviet social security system in Lithuania. Central European Political Sciences Review, 12(43), 118–135.
Guogis, A., Bernotas, D., & Ūselis, D. (2000). Lietuvos politinių partijų samprata apie socialinę apsaugą. Vilnius: Eugrimas.
Guogis, A., & Koht, H. (2009). Why not the Nordic model of welfare state in Lithuania? Trends in Lithuanian and Norwegian social policies. In J. Aidukaite (Ed.), Poverty, urbanity and social policy. Central and Eastern Europe in a broader context. New York: Nova Sciences.
Jakeliūnas, S. (2011). Krizė Lietuvoje: priežastys, padariniai ir pamokos. Accessed May 9, 2014, from http://jakeliunas.lt/krize-lietuvoje-priezastys-padariniai-ir-pamokos/
Jankauskienė, D., & Medaiskis, T. (2010, May). Annual national report 2010 pensions, health and long-term care Lithuania. Accessed May 9, 2014, from http://socialprotection.eu/files_db/900/asisp_ANR10_Lithuania.pdf
Jankauskienė, D., & Medaiskis, T. (2012, February). Annual national report 2012. Pensions, health care and long-term care Lithuania. Accessed November 12, 2013, from http://socialprotection.eu/files_db/1255/asisp_ANR12_LITHUANIA.pdf
Kavoliūnaitė-Ragauskienė, E., Mačernytė-Panomariovienė, I., & Petrylaitė., V. (2013). Darbas, šeima ir socialinė apsauga: žmogaus teisių užtikrinimo 2008–2012 metais problemos. Mokslo studija. Lietuvos teisės institutas. Accessed December 1, 2013, from http://www.teise.org/data/Darbas_seima_socialine_apsauga.pdf
Lauristin, M. (2003, Fall). Social contradictions shadowing Estonia’s “Success Story”. Demokratizatsiya. Accessed February 11, 2013, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3996/is_200310/ai_n9310188
Lazutka, R. (2007). Pensijų sistemų raida Lietuvoje. Filosofija. Sociologija, 18(2), 64–80.
Lazutka, R., Skučienė, D., Bartkus, A., & Navickė, J. (2011). Long lasting development trends of the Lithuanian pension system and its changes from the public finance sustainability perspective. Research Report. SADM/URM.
Lazutka, P., Žalimienė, L., Skučienė, D., Ivaškaitė-Tamošiūnė, V., & Šumskaitė, L. (2008). Socialinė parama Lietuvoje: remiamųjų padėtis ir paramos rezultatai. Vilnius: Socialinių tyrimų centras, Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija.
Lithuanian Statistics Department (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas). (2012a). Lietuvos statistikos metraštis. Accessed January 14, 2014, from http://www.stat.gov.lt/
Lithuanian Statistics Department (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas). (2012b). Valstybinio socialinio draudimo pensijos. Accessed May 8, 2014, from http://www.stat.gov.lt/
Lithuanian Statistics Department (Lietuvos statistikos departamentas). (2014). Gyventojų migracija. Accessed January 14, 2014, from http://osp.stat.gov.lt/
Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania (MSSLL). (2014). Darbo rinka ir užimtumas; socialinis draudimas; socialinė ntegracija; šeima ir vaikai (Labur market and employment; social insurance; social integration; family and children). Accessed January 14, 2014, from http://www.socmin.lt/
Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania (Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija). (2010). Socialinis pranešimas 2009–2010. Vilnius.
Ministry of Social Security and Labour of Lithuania (Socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerija). (2014). Darbo rinkos sistemos pertvarka. Užimtumo rėmimo politika ir institucijos. Accessed April 12, 2014, from http://www.socmin.lt/
National Health Insurance Fund. (2011). Data on health insurance revenue. Accessed January 14, 2014, from http://www.vlk.lt/vlk/en/
Okunevičiūtė-Neverauskienė, L., Moskvina, J., & Pocius, A. (2013). Darbo rinkos politikos priemonių poveikis užimtumui įvairiomis ekonomikos raidos ciklo sąlygomis. Mokslinio tyrimo ataskaita. Lietuvos socialinių tyrimų centro darbo ir socialinių tyrimų institutas.
Pichler-Milanovich, N. (1997). The role of Baltic cities in the European urban system: Forgotten cities or important regional actors? In M. Aberg & M. Peterson (Eds.), Baltic cities: Perspective on urban and regional change in the Baltic sea area. Lund: Nordic Academic Press.
Roubini, N. (2009a, February 26). Will the economic crisis split east and west in Europe? FORBES. Accessed July 8, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/25/eastern-europe-eu-banks-euro-opinions-column ists_nouriel_roubini.html
Roubini, N. (2009b, October 22). Eastern Europe’s economy. FORBES. Accessed July 8, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/21/poland-hungary-latvia-economy-imf-opinions-columnists-nouriel-roubini.html
Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas). (2009). LR Socialinių išmokų perskaičiavimo ir mokėjimo laikinasis įstatymas. 2009 m. gruodžio 9 d. Nr. XI-537. Vilnius.
Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas). (2011). LR Seimo nutarimas „Dėl valstybinio socialinio draudimo ir pensijų sistemos pertvarkos gairių patvirtinimo“. 2011 m. gegužės 24 d. Nr. XI-1410 Vilnius.
Sipavičienė, A., & Stankūnienė, V. (2011). Lietuvos gyventojų (e)migracijos dvidešimtmetis: tarp laisvės rinktis ir išgyvenimo strategijos (Two decades of emigration from Lithuania: between free choice and survival strategy). Filosofija. Sociologija, 22(4), 323–333.
SODRA. (2006–2010). Lithuania. Figures and facts. Accessed January 10, 2014, from http://www.sodra.lt/
Sommers, J., Juska, A., & Hudson, M. (2011, December 6). No people, no problem. The Baltic Tigers’ false prophets of austerity. Counterpunch. Accessed January 8, 2012, from http://www.counterpunch.org/
Stankūnienė, V., & Jasilionis, D. (2011). Lietuvos gyventojų mirtingumo lygio ir mirties priežasčių struktūros prieštaringi pokyčiai (Contradictory trends in mortality and cause-specific mortality in Lithuania). Filosofija. Sociologija, 22(4), 334–347.
Stankūnienė, V., Maslauskaitė, A., & Baublytė, M. (2013). Ar Lietuvos šeimos bus gausesnės? (Are families to be larger in Lithuania?) Vilnius: Lietuvos socialinių tyrimų centras.
Woolfson, C. (2007). Labour standards and labour migration in the new Europe: Post-communist legacies and perspectives. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 13(2), 199–218.
Woolfson, C. (2010). “Hard times” in Lithuania: Crisis and “discourses of discontent” in post-communist society. Ethnography, 11(4), 487–514.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Aidukaite, J., Moskvina, J., Skuciene, D. (2016). Lithuanian Welfare System in Times of Recent Crisis. In: Schubert, K., de Villota, P., Kuhlmann, J. (eds) Challenges to European Welfare Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07680-5_19
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07680-5_19
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07679-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07680-5
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)