17. Local State-Society Relations in Lithuania

The chapter on Lithuania focuses on the different types of networks of local state-society relations on the municipal level, including the councils of non-governmental organizations (NGO councils), the youth councils, the tripartite councils, the councils of culture and arts, and the boards of local action groups. The analysis identifies the dominance of ‘self-reflective’ local state-society networks in Lithuania. These networks refer to highly regulated provisions, strictly organized membership and statutory rules, and limited social and economic impact at the local level. Contrary, the ‘consociational’ (boards of local action groups) and ‘collaborative’ (tripartite councils) types of networks are considered as an exception and represent a different role in local development.