Two Lithuanian parliament committees are to look into alleged impact of disinformation and propaganda in the country's predominantly Russian and Polish-speaking region amid slow take-off of vaccination.
“The pandemic and slow vaccine rollout in this region show that something is wrong in the public space there,” said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, the conservative MP chairing the Committee on National Security and Defence (NSGK).
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Referring to Lithuania's southeastern areas around the districts of Šalčininkai and Vilnius, he said “we need to look into what challenges this region is facing and what narratives are dominating”.
The meeting on Wednesday is held by the NSGK and the Committee on Culture. It will be attended by experts and representatives of NGOs, Kasčiūnas said.
NGOs are expected to present proposals, including for a regional TV channel for southeastern Lithuania to counteract the influence of Russian media.
Previously, Kasčiūnas and his fellow conservative MP Paulius Saudargas suggested establishing a special regional fund for southeastern Lithuania and provide financial incentives to Vilnius and Šalčininkai District Municipalities to promote civic and informational literacy among local residents. The fund would also be used to develop economic, social and cultural activities in the region, reduce poverty, invest into formal and informal education.
Arguing for the need to focus on the region, policymakers quote a 2016 opinion survey of Lithuania's ethnic minority communities. The results suggested that large part of them found Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula justifiable and had favourable opinions about Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies.
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