Social Democrats still most popular party in Lithuania

Asked which party they would vote for if general elections were held on the upcoming Sunday, 18.5 percent would vote for the ruling Social Democrats, the Lietuvos Rytas daily writes.

The opposition Liberal Movement came in second with 12 percent, followed by the opposition Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (9.5 percent). Compared to the previous surveys, the positions of the Social Democrats and the Liberals have weakened slightly, and popularity of the Homeland Union has grown.

“The Homeland Union’s result is a bit better. It’s probably down to the new leader Gabrielius Landsbergis,” Vladas Gaidys head of the public opinion and market research centre Vilmorus, which carried out the survey, told BNS on Saturday.

Meanwhile the prime minister and the president remain the best-evaluated politicians in Lithuania, with around 60 percent of people surveyed having a positive opinion about them. Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius came in third, followed by Interior Minister Saulius Skvernelis, Liberal Movement leader Eligijus Masiulis and Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius.

And Valdemar Tomaševski, leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania party, received the majority of negative opinions during the survey.

Included into the survey for the first time, Gabrielius Landsbergis was positively evaluated by 22 percent of people. 29 percent had a negative opinion and almost a half of people had no opinion.
Asked to name politicians who represent their interests best, 21.2 percent named President Grybauskaitė. Prime Minister Butkevičius came in second with 12 percent.

1,034 people were surveyed on May 12-17, Gaidys told BNS.