As the Lithuanian Free Market Institute is celebrating its 11th birthday anniversary, it has announced the upcoming changes in the institute’s management and leadership. On November 23 Ms. Leontjeva will propose the general meeting of LFMI that Ugnius Trumpa, currently Vice President, replace her in the position of LFMI’s President, while Rūta Vainienė and Guoda Steponavičienė serve as vice presidents.
Ms. Leontjeva intends to revive a council of the Institute while dedicating most of her time to writing. She will also continue to contribute to the most important projects of the institute and the most needed initiatives.
“I have always searched for new ways to promote and embody free market principles in our life. Ideas should reach people to live in them, and there is no better way than books to convey ideas. Today I am ready to undertake this new, untried mission – to tell people a story of bringing capitalism back. I know that writing books and advancing global thinking and global action of the free market community is the best I can do for the cause of freedom and peace,” Ms. Leontjeva motivated her decision.
Elena Leontjeva has led LFMI since it was set up in 1990. In 1993 she was elected president of the institute to make it grow into an influential centre for free market thought and action. As Ms. Leontjeva said, creating what is viable and sustainable is very gratifying, and “viable” is what lives on without daily attention from its founder.
“Many times I had to take on new initiatives, to embody a new order and to build needed institutions. When I felt the foundations were solid to hold on, I knew it was time to step aside. Today the Institute’s foundations are as solid as never before. LFMI is a team of strong, thinking and dedicated individuals who have gained a reputation of an authoritative public policy group. LFMI has a wide circle of supporters who devote their time and money to keep our movement unshakable. And I am ready to move on,” Ms. Leontjeva said.
Ever since its inception LFMI has been at the forefront of Lithuania’s economic reform. Under Ms. Leontjeva’s guidance, LFMI led the creation of the legal and institutional foundation for the capital market, a currency board system enshrined in the Law on Litas Credibility and sound operational principles and financial disclosure of commercial banks. LFMI formulated a proposal for tax and budget reform that improved the official policy as well as prepared the foundations for private pension insurance and the Law on Pension Funds. A profound impact was exerted on company, bankruptcy and competition law. Recently LFMI has initiated and provided a decisive input to national Sunset and Sunrise programmes aimed at sizing down bureaucracy and reducing business regulation.
Leading one of the first private non-profit organisations in Lithuania, Ms. Leontjeva has been fostering the traditions and building proper legal foundations of the NGO sector. As Ms. Leontjeva noted, LFMI has won its recognition not by the powers granted by law but by virtue of its conceptual and positive thinking, sound and appealing argumentation and proposals as well as timely response to Lithuania’s changing needs.
