Lietuvos ekonominė ir socialinė sanglauda

Abstract

The article aims to analyse the Lithuanian economic and social cohesion in order to understand the complex and contradictory processes taking place in the country s economy. The fundamentals of the European welfare model are discussed and the at-tempts to orient Lithuania’s economic policy towards the social factor are examined. Prior to accession to the EU, the Lithuanian economy was not socially oriented, while the European Union prioritized social policy, work and employment, and the development of human resources. In Lithuania, it was believed that fast economic growth and stability had to be achieved before improving the welfare of the population and solving social policy problems. However, social processes are inseparable from economic changes and mutually affect each other. On the one hand, social policies are determined by the general development of the economy; on the other hand - they encourage economic growth themselves. Social policies oriented towards increasing employment, wages and the level of income are one of the most important factors determining economic growth. The EU membership forces Lithuania to realise the entirely new role of social policies in the economy, as confirmed by the key strategic documents of the EU (the Lisbon Strategy, the Revised Strategy for Social Cohesion of the Council of Europe, eta). Social policies in the European Union serve as a prerequisite, a condition and a factor of economic growth that determined the success of the country's economy. The article provides an analysis of the Lithuanian macroeconomic indicators that are given priority in the economic policies of Lithuania. [...].