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.
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, 2004-2010
Opinion on the Lithuanian membership in the European Union, 1999-2007
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.
