Support for Nemunas Dawn rises as government formation wraps up

Support for the ruling Nemunas Dawn party has risen since July, according to a Delfi-commissioned Spinter Tyrimai survey conducted in September and published on Thursday.

Around 8.5% of voters said they would back Nemunas Dawn, up from 3.4% in July.

Analysts suggest the party benefited from the political turbulence surrounding the coalition reshuffle and the formation of a new cabinet following Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas’ resignation.

The process was held up after President Gitanas Nausėda rejected Nemunas Dawn’s nominees for the energy and environment portfolios, Mindaugas Jablonskis and Povilas Poderskis.

The poll was completed after the new government took office and as cultural figures announced plans for a warning strike in protest over the decision to hand the Culture Ministry to Nemunas Dawn in a ministerial swap. At the time, Nemunas Dawn’s Ignotas Adomavičius was still serving as culture minister.

Support for other parties shifted only within the margin of error.

Some 14.5% of respondents said they would vote for the opposition conservatives, Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (13% in July). Support for the ruling Social Democrats stood at 10.5% (10.2%), for the Democrats “For Lithuania” at 7.1% (9.3%), and for the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union at 6.9% (6.1%).

Further down the list were the Liberal Movement on 6.5% (6.9% in July), the Freedom Party on 3.6% (4.1%), the National Alliance on 2.1% (1.7%), and the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance on 2% (2.5%).

Others said they would vote for a different party, abstain or did not answer.

Backing for Inga Ruginienė as prime minister has also risen sharply. Some 7.3% of respondents (up from 0.3% in July) said she was best suited for the role, placing her behind former conservative premier Ingrida Šimonytė, named by 13% (12.5% in the previous poll).

Spinter Tyrimai surveyed 1,017 people online and by phone between September 17 and 27. The results of the survey have a margin of error of up to 3.1%.