The public opinion poll commissioned by ELTA was carried out by the pollster Baltijos tyrimai on 6-20 August. Interviewees were asked whether they approve or disapprove, have heard of or do not have an opinion about the leading candidates of political parties participating in elections to the Seimas.
It has transpired that leader of the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) Vilija Blinkevičiūtė had the highest approval rating of 54%, with the disapproval rating of 36%. 10% of the polled did not have an opinion about her.
Leader of the party the Nemunas Dawn, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, had the second highest approval rating of 50%, while his disapproval rating was 37%. 2% of the polled have not heard about him and 11% did not have an opinion.
Third was MP Saulius Skvernelis, head of the party Democrats For Lithuania. His approval was at 46% and disapproval at 43%. 1% of respondents have not heard about him and 10% did not have an opinion.
MP Aurelijus Veryga, the leading candidate of the Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS), ranked fourth with 38% approval and 49% disapproval ratings. 13% of the polled did not have an opinion about him.
Jonas Pinskus, chairman of the Regions’ Party, closed the top five with 37% approval and 38% disapproval ratings. 4% of the polled have not heard about him and 21% did not have an opinion about him.
Parliament speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement, one of three coalition parties, was sixth. She had 36% approval rating and 53% disapproval rating, while 11% of respondents did not have an opinion about her.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, the leading candidate of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), the major coalition party, was seventh with the approval rating of just 22% and the disapproval rating of 70%. 1% of the polled said they have not heard about her, while 7% did not have an opinion.
Eighth was Artūras Orlauskas, the leading candidate of the Nation and Justice Union (Centrists, Nationalists). He had 21% approval and 50% disapproval ratings. 6% of the polled have not heard about him and 23% did not have an opinion.
Artūras Zuokas, head of the party Freedom and Justice, was ninth with 21% approval and 61% disapproval. 1% of respondents have not heard about him and 17% did not have an opinion.
Former MEP Viktor Uspaskich, chairman of the Labour Party and the leading candidate of the Peace Coalition, closed the top ten. He had 21% approval and 64% disapproval ratings, while 15% of respondents did not have an opinion about him.
Further on the list was Aušrinė Armonaitė, leader of the Freedom Party, one of coalition parties. She had 21% approval and 68% disapproval ratings. 11% of the polled did not have an opinion about her.
Green Party’s leader Ieva Budraitė had 18% approval rating, 33% disapproval rating, while 26% of the polled said they have not heard about her and 25% did not have an opinion.
Eduardas Vaitkus, who leads the Lithuanian People’s Party in elections, had the approval rating of 16% and the disapproval rating of 63%. 4% of the polled have not heard about him and 17% did not have an opinion.
Waldemar Tomaszewski, leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania-Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS), had the approval rating of 13% and the disapproval rating of 66%. 1% of respondents have not heard about him and 20% did not have an opinion.
Leading candidate of the National Alliance, Vytautas Sinica, closed the list with 11% approval and 37% disapproval. 26% of respondents have not heard about him and 26% did not have an opinion.
A total of 1,004 adult residents of Lithuania were polled on 6-20 August across 110 polling locations. Their composition is representative of the Lithuania’s population by gender, age, nationality and the type of settlement. The margin of error is 3.1%.