On February 25, the presentation of the latest annual Democracy Sustainability Barometer study took place. The research findings were presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mažvydas Jastramskis of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University, and the event was moderated by the Centre’s Chief Programme Coordinator, Simona Merkinaitė. Now presented for the fourth consecutive year, the study enables comparison of trends in Lithuanian public attitudes since 2022 and assessment of changes in the context of intense international political developments.
In analysing the Democracy Sustainability Index, attention was devoted to trust in state institutions, satisfaction with the functioning of democracy, and willingness to defend it through protest. It was noted that several indicators show negative trends—particularly declining trust in political institutions and a weakening public understanding of the rule of law as an essential feature of democracy.
The presentation of the Resilience to Eastern Propaganda Index addressed perceptions of the Russian threat, support for Ukraine, attitudes towards the European Union and NATO, and views on economic relations with authoritarian regimes. A consistently declining perception of the Russian threat was highlighted, along with the increasing persuasiveness of economic arguments compared to political claims. The discussion also emphasised that decreasing trust in institutions may limit the government’s ability to mobilise society around strategic decisions, while a significant share of undecided respondents remains susceptible to informational influence.
You can learn more about the study HERE.