The majority of Lithuanians support country's membership in the EU

euro.lt

 

The majority of Lithuania’s population are interested in and support the country’s membership in the European Union (EU). The public opinion survey results showed that Lithuania’s residents would like to get information on this topic, first of all, through television, newspapers, radio and Internet.

 

71.4 per cent of respondents support Lithuania’s membership in the EU. The figures of support remain stable. In 2008, 72.2 per cent of participants of the poll were favourable for the country’s membership in the EU.

 

The membership in the EU is mostly supported by young people up to 29 years (75.7 per cent) and those respondents at the age of 40-49 (73.2 per cent). Respondents of Lithuanian nationality (73.3 per cent), with higher education (81.1 per cent), professionals (85 per cent), pupils and students (74.4 per cent), persons who receive more than 800 and 1 000 litas per family member (respectively 76 and 80.7 per cent), residents of Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys (77.9 per cent) are the most favourable for the membership.

 

16.8 per cent of interviewees don’t support membership in the EU. Among the most opposed ones are: the age group of 50-59 years old (24.7 per cent), people of Russian and Polish nationality (26.5 and 25.9 per cent), workers (22.7 per cent), unemployed persons (20 per cent), persons who receive 400 litas per family member (19.1 per cent), poll participants from Vilnius (19.4 per cent) and towns (19.1 per cent).

 

Two-thirds consider themselves as EU citizens (66.1 per cent). Meanwhile, 22.1 per cent of respondents do not regard themselves as EU citizens.

 

The interest of Lithuania’s population in the country’s membership in the EU remains high. This year, 62.1 per cent confirmed being interested (64.6 per cent in 2008). 65 per cent of participants are interested in the EU itself (in comparison to 2008, the percentage was 67.7). Those who do not show interested either in Lithuania’s membership in the EU or in the organization’s activities make respectively 25.1 and 23 per cent (in 2008, there were 23.1 and 19.5 per cent of them).

 

Over the past year, a slight increase in public awareness about Lithuania’s membership in the EU is observed. The results showed that information on this topic is fully sufficient for 16.1 per cent of respondents, seems sufficient for 26.4 per cent of interviewees. Two years ago, these figures were respectively 13.2 and 25.6 per cent. 39.5 per cent of respondents feel the lack of information about membership in the EU (there were 40 per cent of them in 2008).

 

The participants of the survey would like to get essential information about Lithuania’s membership in the EU on television (85.9 per cent), in the press (51.8 per cent), on the radio (46.2 per cent) and in the Internet (42.2 per cent).

 

The majority of respondents (42.2 per cent) support Lithuania’s upcoming Presidency in the Council of the EU in the second half of 2013 and consider it as a useful experience for the country. 22.4 per cent of respondents have opposing views.

 

65.6 per cent among the supporters of the Presidency believe that it will allow Lithuania to protect its interests in the EU and 50.7 per cent agree that it will be an excellent opportunity to introduce ourselves as an attractive country for investments and tourism. 41.2 per cent hope that Lithuania’s Presidency will positively affect the economy of the country.

 

Those respondents who have doubts concerning the benefits of the Presidency think that Lithuania has too little influence in the EU and will not be able to implement its goals (54.9 per cent), they are also worried about the costs of the Presidency to taxpayers (43.2 per cent).

 

Lithuania’s residents, who have participated in the survey, selected these priorities of the Lithuania’s EU Presidency: the EU’s energy security (55.4 per cent), economic development and employment (53.9 per cent), relations with Russia (42.2 per cent), the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood Policy (33.1 per cent), education and cultural cooperation (29.2 per cent).

 

The survey was carried out under the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the centre of public opinion and market research “Vilmorus”. On 2-11 July, 1004 adults were interviewed in 18 Lithuania’s cities and towns and 52 villages. The poll was implemented as part of the project “The Increase in the Efficiency of Lithuania’s EU Affairs System”, funded by the European Social Fund.

 

11-08-2010