Taking a (Free?) Ride on the EU Railway: Analyzing the Intra-Alliance Foreign Policies of Lithuania and Estonia

Abstract

As small states in the international realm, Estonia and Lithuania have a limited set of options with which to secure their sovereignty. Their shared historical experience, geopolitical outlook, and small size would, on first glance, indicate similar foreign policy strategies. While both states opted for integration with Western Europe, they have adopted differing strategies for navigating the European Union. This thesis posits that differing levels of political cohesion are responsible for these differing strategies. The role of political cohesion may support a liberal institutionalist approach to understanding international relations.