Social Democrats cling to top of ratings but face competition as elections approach

Surveys show that if the Seimas elections were to be held next weekend, the Social Democratic party would win in its multi-member electoral districts.

The Social Democrats have been the most popular party in Lithuania since the last election and have not lost this position since. However, ISM University of Management and Economics professor Vincentas Vobolevičius said that the pushing of the Labour Code right before the elections could hurt the Social Democrats, especially if the Lithuanian Peasant and Greens Union manages to leverage the issue by presenting themselves as the defenders of the working class.

In a Spinter Tyrimai survey commissioned by Delfi, 16.8% of respondents would have voted for the Social Democrats. However, the Peasant and Greens Union is hot on their heels with 12.2% of votes. The third most popular party was Gabrielius Landsbergis‘ Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, who would receive 10.5% of the vote.

Vobolevičius believes that Ramūnas Karbauskis‘ Peasant and Greens Union is the most dangerous party for Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius‘ Social Democrats because they are targeting similar voters.

The Labour Party and the Order and Justice party would receive 7.6% and 7.5% respectively. The Liberal Movement would receive 6.3% of the vote, though Vobolevičius said they might have the chance to return some of their popularity if they avoid any future scandals. The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania would receive 4.3% of the votes, the Lithuanian Freedom Union would receive 2.5% of the votes, and the Lithuanian Green Party would receive 2.3% of the votes. 14.3% of respondents said they wouldn’t vote and 12.9% were not sure what they would choose or did not choose.