(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats party has gained some public support but remains in the low teens, according to a poll by Vilmorus. 14 per cent of respondents would vote for the ruling party in the next legislative election, up 1.2 points since January.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats party has gained some public support but remains in the low teens, according to a poll by Vilmorus. 14 per cent of respondents would vote for the ruling party in the next legislative election, up 1.2 points since January.
The Social Democratic Party of Lithuania is second with 13.3 per cent, followed by the Labour Party with 12.8 per cent, and Order and Justice with 8.8 per cent. Support is lower for the Liberals’ Movement of the Republic of Lithuania, the New Union – Social Liberals, Election Action of Lithuania’s Poles, the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union, the National Revival Party, and the Liberal and Centre Union.
Lithuania held a legislative election in October 2008. Final results gave the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats 44 seats, followed by the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania with 26 mandates. In December, Kubilius was sworn in as prime minister. The cabinet featured four centre-right parties: the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the National Revival Party, the Liberals’ Movement of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Liberal and Centre Union.
In May 2009, Lithuanians participated in a presidential election. Dalia Grybauskaite, an independent candidate and former finance minister, claimed victory with 69.08 per cent of all cast ballots. In July, she became the first female president in the Baltic nation’s history.
The four ruling parties are trying to strengthen the coalition to streamline legislation. The ruling coalition controls 71 of the 141 seats, after a split in the National Revival Party.
On Feb. 18, Kubilius admitted that efforts to broaden the governing alliance by including the 12-member Christian Party Group—formed mostly by lawmakers who left the National Revival Party—failed, declaring, "We can no longer talk about being in a coalition together. Discussions in these circumstances have come to an end."
Polling Data
For which party would you vote in elections to Parliament, if the elections were held next Sunday?
|
|
Feb. 2010
|
Jan. 2010
|
Dec. 2009
|
|
Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats
|
14.0%
|
12.8%
|
9.6%
|
|
Social Democratic Party of Lithuania
|
13.3%
|
15.5%
|
16.1%
|
|
Labour Party
|
12.8%
|
9.8%
|
16.0%
|
|
Order and Justice
|
8.8%
|
10.9%
|
10.8%
|
|
Liberals’ Movement of the Republic of Lithuania
|
3.4%
|
4.2%
|
4.1%
|
|
New Union – Social Liberals
|
2.4%
|
3.9%
|
3.4%
|
|
Election Action of Lithuania’s Poles
|
1.4%
|
0.8%
|
1.3%
|
|
Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union
|
1.1%
|
0.8%
|
0.7%
|
|
National Revival Party
|
0.9%
|
0.4%
|
0.3%
|
|
Liberal and Centre Union
|
0.8%
|
0.6%
|
1.3%
|
|
Would not vote
|
21.2%
|
22.4%
|
17.9%
|
|
Not sure
|
16.4%
|
15.8%
|
16.1%
|
|
No answer
|
1.5%
|
1.3%
|
1.6%
|
Source: Vilmorus
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,003 Lithuanian adults, conducted from Feb. 4 to Feb. 8, 2010. No margin of error was provided.
