Lietuvos demokratizacijos raida: pokomunistinių Rytų Europos šalių procesų vertinimas užsienio mokslinėje spaudoje

ENThe students of post-communist processes emphasize that consolidation of democracy is a complicated task for former communist societies. In force of their specifics the experience of democratization of the earlier decades in southern Europe or South America is not applicable for post-communist states. In assessing the progress in the field of democratization made in the Baltic states the authors stress that citizensliip policy of Lithuania has been more liberal than of her neighbours. On the other hand, the rule of the leftist party LDDP (former communists) in 1992-1996 is treated as a serious setback on the way of reforms and the speed of democratization of the country. It has also seriously impaired the image of the country in the international arena. Nevertheless, the authors note that Lithuania and the other Baltic states have good chances for strengthening their democratic system and joining the European structures.