The Baltic parliaments: Legislative performance from independence to EU accession

Abstract

Political development in post-communist Europe has in general been influenced by two essentially countervailing trends. On the one hand, the countries in the region have adopted a relatively wide range of democratic institutions, which should ultimately affect their patterns of political decision-making and effectiveness. On the other hand, the common trajectory of these countries towards integration with the European Union has meant that many of the policy choices are the same and that political performance will eventually be measured by the same yardstick. This article examines this duality as reflected in the legislative performance and output of the Baltic States. An analysis of legislative data reveals that both institutional differences and common EU aspirations explain the different nuances of parliamentary development in these states.