Opposition gains popularity, poll shows

Social Democrat leader Audrius Butkevičius is a likely candidate for Lithuania's next prime minister.

Social Democratic leader Audrius Butkevičius is a likely candidate for Lithuania's next prime minister.

VILNIUS — After being trounced in Lithuania’s 2008 parliamentary elections, polls show that if the 2012 election was held now the left-wing opposition would return to power.

The austerity measures taken by the conservative coalition since being elected in 2008 are taking their toll on the electorate’s patience, as a recent article in the New York Times highlighted. While the painful fiscal consolidation has been praised by international bodies like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as saving the country from insolvency, it’s been [private_supervisor]largely unpopular domestically as people take wage cuts and lose jobs and social benefits.

The opposition, made up of the Social Democrats, Order and Justice, the Labor Party and the newly-formed Christian Party (originally named United Lithuania) would be in the pole position.

The Social Democrats, which were the ruling party in the previous government, have regained popularity with 12.7 percent of a vote held now. Labor would get 11.6 percent and Order and Justice would get 9.4 percent.

Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius’ Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats union would only get 8.6 percent of the vote, leaving them in fourth place.

Meanwhile popular entertainer Arūnas Valinskas’ National Resurrection Party’s success in the previous election looks fleeting, as the scandal-ridden party would only get 0.7 percent of the vote, the poll showed. The party, created in 2008 with mostly showbiz celebrities as candidates, split last year after Valinskas’ ouster from the Speaker of the Seimas following a corruption scandal.

The poll was conducted by Spinter Tyrimai and surveyed 1,002 people between ages 18 and 75. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]largely unpopular domestically as people take wage cuts and lose jobs and social benefits.

The opposition, made up of the Social Democrats, Order and Justice, the Labor Party and the newly-formed Christian Party (originally named United Lithuania) would be in the pole position.

The Social Democrats, which were the ruling party in the previous government, have regained popularity with 12.7 percent of a vote held now. Labor would get 11.6 percent and Order and Justice would get 9.4 percent.

Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius’ Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats union would only get 8.6 percent of the vote, leaving them in fourth place.

Meanwhile popular entertainer Arūnas Valinskas’ National Resurrection Party’s success in the previous election looks fleeting, as the scandal-ridden party would only get 0.7 percent of the vote, the poll showed. The party, created in 2008 with mostly showbiz celebrities as candidates, split last year after Valinskas’ ouster from the Speaker of the Seimas following a corruption scandal.

The poll was conducted by Spinter Tyrimai and surveyed 1,002 people between ages 18 and 75. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]largely unpopular domestically as people take wage cuts and lose jobs and social benefits.

The opposition, made up of the Social Democrats, Order and Justice, the Labor Party and the newly-formed Christian Party (originally named United Lithuania) would be in the pole position.

The Social Democrats, which were the ruling party in the previous government, have regained popularity with 12.7 percent of a vote held now. Labor would get 11.6 percent and Order and Justice would get 9.4 percent.

Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius’ Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats union would only get 8.6 percent of the vote, leaving them in fourth place.

Meanwhile popular entertainer Arūnas Valinskas’ National Resurrection Party’s success in the previous election looks fleeting, as the scandal-ridden party would only get 0.7 percent of the vote, the poll showed. The party, created in 2008 with mostly showbiz celebrities as candidates, split last year after Valinskas’ ouster from the Speaker of the Seimas following a corruption scandal.

The poll was conducted by Spinter Tyrimai and surveyed 1,002 people between ages 18 and 75. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]largely unpopular domestically as people take wage cuts and lose jobs and social benefits.

The opposition, made up of the Social Democrats, Order and Justice, the Labor Party and the newly-formed Christian Party (originally named United Lithuania) would be in the pole position.

The Social Democrats, which were the ruling party in the previous government, have regained popularity with 12.7 percent of a vote held now. Labor would get 11.6 percent and Order and Justice would get 9.4 percent.

Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius’ Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats union would only get 8.6 percent of the vote, leaving them in fourth place.

Meanwhile popular entertainer Arūnas Valinskas’ National Resurrection Party’s success in the previous election looks fleeting, as the scandal-ridden party would only get 0.7 percent of the vote, the poll showed. The party, created in 2008 with mostly showbiz celebrities as candidates, split last year after Valinskas’ ouster from the Speaker of the Seimas following a corruption scandal.

The poll was conducted by Spinter Tyrimai and surveyed 1,002 people between ages 18 and 75. [/private_subscription 1 year]

— This is a paid article. To subscribe or extend your subscription, click here.

Leave a Reply

*

ADVERTISEMENT

© 2010 Baltic Reports LLC. All rights reserved. -