SPIT ON THE SPIT

Mar 12, 2008

There is a great deal of inevitability in the current standoff involving the Curonian Spit, that magical strip of land jutting between two bodies of water and marking Lithuania's most western point. Now that the economy is dashing ahead like an Olympian sprinter, investors are searching for "sure bets" and "safe havens" in case macroeconomic imbalances reel out of control and the whole house of cards falls down. They have to look no further than seaside property, which over the long term can only appreciate in value given the fact that Lithuania has so precious little. The investment opportunities are extraordinarily lucrative, but hard to come by. Seaside development is heavily regulated, particularly on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage site. But where there's a will there's a way; or said differently, where there's a hand extending a bribe, there's a hand accepting it.

There are two sides to the confrontation: the preservationists and the construction industry. Or those who want to maintain the Curonian Spit's unique natural beauty, and those that want to build on every vacant lot. Over the past couple years the "money" has taken the lead. Several dozen construction projects have begun building that, according to the preservationists, violate the spit's development plan and violate its natural harmony. State prosecutors, who belong to the preservationist camp, have fought to have the building permits nullified, but with little success. The battle became so intense that its onus shifted to Vilnius, and in January the environment minister resigned, in large part due to the crisis on the Curonian Spit. As Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas hinted at the time, there are forces in Lithuania seeking to take control over the seaside.

Public sentiment is on the side of the preservationists, and calls for revving up the bulldozer have become louder in recent weeks. Seeing the scales tipping against them, the construction industry, along with the deep-pocketed investors placing the orders, have drafted a so-called "peace agreements" that would essentially allow the disputed construction projects to remain, albeit with alterations. The new environment minister, Arturas Paulauskas, has backed the proposed agreements, particularly since they will save the municipality a ton of grief since, once a project is annuled, the developers will immediately turn to court. Many lawyers, however, fear such tailor-made arrangements will create a tenuous precedent not just for the Curonian Spit but for all Lithuania. Outright critics say the peace agreements will only legitimize illegal activity and, well 's pardon the pun 's spit in the face of the rule of law.

We adhere to the latter opinion. The rule of law should prevail, not concern for the construction industry or the municipality's legal woes. As usual, Lithuanians have demonstrated their legendary inability to see beyond the current calendar month, and once again they are paying the price of their myopia. The way out of this jam is not compromise, but adhering to the rule of law. We would hope that justice will favor those who want to preserve the spit 's and not those who want to spit on it 's but this should be up for the courts to decide.

forgot password?