Lithuanian Public Opinion and the EU Membership
Lithuania’s membership in the European Union would be impossible without the public assent and support. This support was made most explicit during the referendum on the membership in the European Union on 10-11 May 2003, when 91.07% of those participating (the turnout was 63.37%) approved of Lithuania’s accession to the EU.
Contrary to the apprehensions that such a high percentage of supporters means exaggerated expectations, Lithuania still demonstrates high public support for EU membership. According to the results of the Eurobarometer survey carried out in March-May 2008 (thereinafter – Eurobarometer Spring 2008), 60% of the country’s population support the Lithuanian membership in the EU (Lithuania ranked sixth among the member states in this respect, well surpassing the EU average, which was 52%).
The attitudes of the Lithuanian citizens towards the EU have been studied since mid-1990s. Public opinion surveys on the questions related to EU membership are commissioned by the state and academic institutions as well as the media. All the surveys carried out from 1999 until the referendum on the EU membership, posed the following question: “Would you vote "for" or "against" if the referendum on Lithuania’s membership in the EU took place tomorrow?” After the referendum, it was asked: ”Do you support Lithuania’s membership in the European Union?“ The diagram below shows opinion trends in percentage (click on it to see it of a larger format and with the scales):
Opinion on the Lithuanian membership in the European Union, 2004-2008
Opinion on the Lithuanian membership in the European Union, 1999-2007
According to the public opinion survey commissioned by the Office of the Lithuanian Government and carried out in November 2006 (thereinafter – OLG 2006), the main reason of the Lithuanian support for membership is the opinion that Lithuania will sooner achieve higher living standards as an EU member (25.7% of those supporting Lithuanian membership thought so), the second factor is the opportunity for Lithuania to use EU financial assistance available to member states (24.7%). Opponents to Lithuania’s integration in the EU argued that the EU was governed by big states, there was a danger deteriorating national identity; they did not approve or did not understand the ways in which EU decisions were taken, and expressed their discontent with the fact that EU restrained Lithuanian sovereignty and fostered bureaucratic growth.
Lithuanians on the whole are remarkably positive towards EU matters. Eurobarometer (Spring 2008 data) indicate that Lithuania has the Union-wide one of the highest percentage of those saying that EU membership is beneficial for their country (75 %). Residents of Ireland, Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and Slovakia demonstrate the most positive opinions towards EU membership: more than three- quarters of the population of these countries think EU membership is beneficial for their countries. These rates are higher than EU average rate – only about more then a half of all EU population (54 %) think that membership in the EU is beneficial for their countries.
The public support for the European Union as a project is one of the topical questions on the Community agenda. Its importance has been revealed by the French and Dutch results of the referendums on the European Union Constitutional Treaty, which was followed by the Reflection period. The European Commission suggested a number of initiatives bringing the European Union closer tothe people.
The European Commission has been following the public opinion developments in the member states since 1973. Eurobarometer surveys have been regularly conducted on the questions important for the European Union, such as the enlargement, the euro, foreign policy, social and other affairs.
Public opinion changes after the accession to the EU
75% of the Lithuanian population (Eurobarometer Spring 2008) agrees that Lithuania has benefited from the EU membership – this indicator places Lithuanians in the sixth position after the Irish, Danish, polish, Estonian and Slovenian (at the time the EU average was 54%).
To the question how the EU membership is beneficial to the Lithuania – 49 % says that the EU gives new work opportunities, 39 % thinks that the EU contributes to economic growth of the Country, 29 % believe that membership improves relationships between Lithuania and other‘s countries. However, the membership has caused some difficulties, too: 37 % thinks that membership lowers the standard of living; 30 % says, that Lithuania have very little influence on decisions made at European Union level and 26 % thinks that membership negatively effects on Lithuanian economical growth.
The euro
Since 2004, an annual public opinion poll on the introduction of the euro has been carried out in Lithuania. In 2004, 47.7% of those interviewed believed that Lithuania should introduce the euro, in 2005 – 34.0%, in 2006 – 39.2%. At the time of the survey 2006, it was already known that Lithuania would not be able to join the Eurozone in 2007 like Slovenia, thus one might guess that it was precisely the postponement of the date that increased the number of supporters. Some people feared the prompt introduction of the euro as, in their opinion, preparations had not been finished. Lithuanians prefer to stay cautious in this respect – in 2005 as well as in 2006, the majority of the population thought that Lithuania should not hurry to switch to the common EU currency (EC 2006).
According to the statistics of 2008, the Lithuanian citizens feel that they are quite well informed about the euro, although in comparison with the data of 2007, the percentage has decreased slightly (from 49% to 44%). The citizens of Slovakia and the Czech Republic have best indicators in this respect (64% and 48%, respectively). The Lithuanians’ emotional support to the introduction of the euro is growing: 40% of respondents answered positively to the question asking whether they were personally satisfied about the possibility of litas being replaced by the euro in Lithuania, compared with only 34% in September 2007.
In comparison with the findings of the survey conducted in 2007, citizens of EU-9, except for Slovakia, think that the euro is going to be introduced later than planned. The biggest change is seen in Lithuania: in September 2007, almost half of respondents (48%) considered that the euro was going to be introduced in 2009-2010, while at present only 28% hold such an opinion. 29% of Lithuanians expect that the euro is going to be introduced in 2011-2012, and 22% think that it is going to happen in 2013 or later (Eurobarometer data, May-June 2008).
EU enlargement
69% of Lithuanians and 47% of the EU population on average are in favour of a further enlargement of the European Union (Eurobarometer 69, Spring 2008). Only the Polish and Slovenian citizens (74% each) are more favourable to a further EU enlargement as compared to Lithuanians, while the Austrian and French citizens consider it least favourably (27% and 31%, respectively). In Latvia, 47% of citizens support further enlargement, and in Estonia, the proportion of citizens holding such an opinion is 63%.
The accession of rich and conflict-free countries (Switzerland, Norway, and Island) to the European Union is considered most favourably both in Lithuania and in the EU in general. Turkey and Albania, however, are considered least favourably. Only attitudes of the Lithuanian and EU citizens towards the possible membership of Ukraine differ substantially. More than two thirds of the Lithuanian citizens (69%) would support possible EU membership of this country, whereas across Europe, only less than a half of the citizens are favourable towards its membership.
Constitutional Treaty
Opinion polls show that the majority of the Lithuanian population (66%) is in favour for the EU Constitution (OLG 2006). This is much higher support than in any of the member states that had not ratified the EU Constitutional Treaty at the time of the Eurobarometer Autumn 2006 survey or had rejected it in the previously held referenda: Poland (63% in favour of the Constitution), Portugal (60%), the Netherlands (59%), France (56%), Ireland (56%), Finland (56%), Denmark (51%), Sweden (50%), the Czech Republic (50%) and the United Kingdom (40%).
Sources of information on the EU
Efforts are made to make the information on the questions related to the EU membership more accessible to the Lithuanian public. One of the most successful ways of conveying information is various information centres. In Vilnius, there is the Europe Information centre of the Seimas, the Information Centre of the EC Representation in Lithuania and the Information Bureau of the European Parliament; "Europe Direct" relay network operates in the county centres (Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Alytus, Marijampolė, Telšiai, Tauragė and Utena), EU shelves have been established in 49 public libraries of the Lithuanian towns and districts, “Integracijos žinios” (“Integration news”) monthly is published online.
Special Euro Info Centres in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda advise small and medium-sized enterprises interested on business opportunities in the European Union. Official EU documents are collected at three European Documentation Centres, established at the National Martynas Mažvydas Library, the library of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science (Vilnius University) and the Europe Institute of the Kaunas University of Technology.
68% of respondents are interested in the European Union, and 65% of the respondents are interested in Lithuania’s membership in the European Union (Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, 2008). However, analysis demonstrates that EU affairs should deserve greater coverage by the media: 45% of the Lithuanian citizen would like that there was a greater number of Lithuanian journalists accredited in Brussels in order to more accurately inform the public about events that take place there (Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, 2006). More thorough provision of information to the public about Lithuania’s position on EU affairs as well as about representation of Lithuania’s interests in the EU institutions (39% of Lithuanians are in favour of this; Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, 2008) would demonstrate that EU policy has a direct impact on life in Lithuania as well; therefore, it is important that Lithuanians have their own opinion about EU affairs, too.
Non-governmental organizations
and the dissemination of information in the society
European movement in Lithuania
The European movement is an international non-governmental organization, established back in 1948 by the European Congress in the Hague (a congress of European politicians, lawyers, academics, economists and other representatives of the public where Winston Churchill, Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt, Alcide de Gasperi and other then prominent politicians took part). The European movement gave an impetus for the European integration and helped overcome the mistrust of the neighbouring countries after the Second World War.
The aims of the European movement have not changed: moving further towards European progress and building European future together in accordance with the principles of peace, democracy, freedom, solidarity and the participation of all citizens. The European movement in Lithuania association was founded in 1997. The European movement in Lithuania unities people who support the idea of the united Europe and envisage Lithuania’s future in the family of free and stable European states.
Public institution Europos namai
Europos namai is a non-profit organization active since 1999 Dealing with public information, informal education and administering projects, the organization aims to nurture the national and European identity of Lithuanian society, and encourage people to take participatory approach in the political, economic, social and cultural life, both domestically and internationally.
The Young European Federalists
The Organization of the Lithuanian Young European Federalists is a movement uniting young people who approve of Lithuania’s integration into the European Union. LJEF organization in Lithuania was founded in 1998. Until the 1 May 2004, one of the main aims of the organization was the pursuit of the prompt membership of Lithuania in the European Union. After the accession, LJEF continues its activity – aiming at further EU enlargement and deeper integration of the member states, informs the youth about the processes taking place in the EU.
Links:
June 2008 Eurobarometer public opinion survey (69 “First Results”)
Action Plan to improve communicating Europe by the Commission
