The conference will mark three significant occasions: the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, adopted on the 25th of October 1992, the 100th anniversary of the 1922 Constitution of the State of Lithuania, as well as the 100th anniversary of the University of Lithuania – the predecessor of Vytautas Magnus University.
The conference seeks to bring together leading researchers and practitioners to discuss the contemporary challenges to the European constitutional order, and the concepts and values of constitutionalism and assess national and supranational responses to these challenges.
The opening session will be attended by:
- Ms. Ewelina Dobrowolska, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania
- Dr. Juozas Augutis, Rector, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania)
- Dr. Massimo Tommasoli, Director of Global Programmes and Permanent Observer for International IDEA to the United Nations, International IDEA
- Dr. Sergei Ignatov, Rector, European Humanities University (Lithuania)
The conference will be attended by representatives of EHU: Associate Professor Dr. Ingrida Danėlienė, Head of Academic Social Sciences Department, and Professor Dr. Aliaksandr Vashkevich, Former Justice of the Constitutional Court of Belarus.
The conference work programme includes 3 thematic sessions:
- Session I – Contemporary challenges to constitutionalism
Moderator: Dr. Dainius Žalimas, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor at Vytautas Magnus University, Member of the Venice Commission, Head of the Law and Democracy Center.
The session is devoted to a reflection on contemporary challenges such as abusive constitutionalism, populism, authoritarianism, war, terrorism, migration, COVID-19 pandemic, in the context of their impact on the concept of constitutionalism in Europe and the world.
- Session II – Current Challenges in Rebuilding Constitutionalism
Moderator: Dr. Lina Strupinskienė, Deputy Director for Studies, Associate Professor at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University.
During the session speakers will discuss various aspects of the problem of the rebuilding of constitutionalism in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: the role and importance of other countries or international actors; problems and obstacles, opportunities and prospects for the restoration of a democratic constitutional order.
- Session III – Future of Constitutionalism
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Justinas Žilinskas, Professor at the Institute of International and European Union Law, Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania).
The final session seeks to summarize the main ideas discussed in the previous sessions and develop a comprehensive vision for the future of constitutionalism in Europe and worldwide.
The event will be held in English and Lithuanian, with according interpretation.
The conference will take place at the VMU Small Hall (28 S. Daukanto g., Kaunas) and online via Zoom.
Learn more about the conference here.
Registration to the Conference (mandatory).
Patron of the event – Law firm AMLEX.
The conference is co-financed by the Lithuanian Research Council and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.