Research Papers

Even prior to the introduction of EU citizenship, Konstantinidis addressed the transliteration of a Greek name in the Latin alphabet and how a different spelling may be harmful for one’s business. The correct name can also be an identity matter, such as in Sayn-Wittgenstein where Austria refused to use a name which incorporated a title of nobility because such titles were prohibited under the country’s constitution. This paper shall focus on the Runevic-Vardyn case, where Mrs Malgožata Runevic-Vardyn (a Lithuanian national who belonged to the Polish minority in Lithuania) demanded that her name be spelt using the Polish alphabet on her marriage certificate. The reasoning behind this claim was that the Lithuanian spelling infringed Mrs Runevic-Vardyn's right to free movement. The case caused huge public debate both in Lithuania and in Poland - countries that share close historical and cultural roots. Between 1569-1795 Lithuania and Poland forged a united state known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Since its dissolution before WWI and the armed conflict over the South-Eastern part of Lithuania (which hosts the current capital Vilnius) during WWII, international relations between the two Member States had experienced frictions. This remains the story today, despite the facts that both countries built close ties with NATO and the. 7% of Lithuanian residents are of Polish origin and 1% of Poland's residents have Lithuanian roots. This raises ongoing problems of the protection of minorities, and Runevic-Vardyn case is often seen in the light of these national perspectives. The paper first analyses Runevic-Vardyn case and aims to look beyond the outcome of the judgment that upheld Lithuanian rules. The authors raise questions as to the right of one's identity and what it means for the two Member States, both of which joined the Union in 2004.