The latest Eurobarometer survey has shown that the trust of Lithuanians in NATO and the European Union has increased, and Lithuanian residents also have a positive view of the bloc’s expansion, writes the Lithuanian public media LRT.
Approximately 64% of Lithuanians stated that they trust the EU. The average trust level in EU countries is practically unchanged and remains at the level of 47%.
Confidence in NATO has increased during the year both in Lithuania and in other member states of the alliance. In Lithuania, NATO is trusted by 70% of survey participants (8% more than last year), while the EU’s average level of trust in NATO is 50% (a 5% increase compared to the situation a year ago). People in Denmark (86%), the Netherlands (76%), and Finland (75%) trust NATO the most. In Latvia, Poland, and France, trust in NATO has increased by 11%. The only country that has seen a significant drop in confidence in NATO, by 22%, is Estonia.
The latest data show that 73% of Lithuanians support EU enlargement (last year they were 68%).
In the bloc, 52% of respondents have a positive attitude toward the admission of new countries. The pollsters say this is most likely related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Ukraine’s possible EU membership has gained public support.
56% of Lithuanians evaluate the EU positively, which is significantly more than the bloc average of 45%. The population of Ireland views the EU most positively (74%), while respondents in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are much more skeptical, and only 32% view the bloc positively.
The Eurobarometer survey was conducted in all EU countries in January and February. 1003 citizens aged 15 and over were interviewed in Lithuania.
Read full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1943650/lithuanians-grow-more-enthusiastic-about-nato-eurobarometer