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However, according to sociological polls, the majority of the Lithuanian population is also not willing to have a negative opinion of the “family defense march”. Up to three-quarters of those surveyed support the event, which has attracted public attention and is accompanied by conflicting evaluations.
It is true that the wider range of moods of the population suggests that the survey shows not so much the current ranks of sympathies for the “march” as the negative attitude of the population towards politicians, the government and the current pandemic situation. in general. According to Rasa Ališauskienė, director of Baltic Research, those who support the Association Law or the Istanbul Convention, in other words, do not necessarily believe that it is necessary to protect the “traditional family”. Perhaps the tensions, emotions and growing public discontent with politicians created by the pandemic led to the popularity of the event, which was endorsed by people who aggressively criticized the government and the quarantine regime and vaccines.
According to a poll conducted by Baltic Research between May 20 and June 2, 2021, 75 percent of the Lithuanian population surveyed supports the so-called “Great March for the Defense of the Family” which took place on May 15, 2021 and your requirements: 40 percent. respondents responded that they fully support it and another 35 percent. residents said they support faster.
At that time, 16 percent. respondents said they did not support the controversial event and the demands made during it: 5 percent. stated completely unsupportive and 11 percent. instead of supporting the event. According to the survey, almost one in ten (9%) respondents did not have an opinion on this issue.
According to Baltic Research, the survey also revealed that on May 15 this year. The Great March for the Defense of the Family has been supported by all demographic and social groups without exception. It is true that this march and its requirements are relatively a little more often unsupported by young people under 30 years of age.
R. Ališauskienė: data must be evaluated in a broader context
However, Baltic Research Director R. Ališauskienė notes that the survey, during which respondents were asked: “Do you support or not support in 2021? May 15 The “Great March for the Defense of the Family” and its demands “must be seen in the broader context of social circumstances.
“Looking at other indicators, the position shown in relation to the gait is an expression of more accumulated dissatisfaction and all kinds of emotional problems,” R. Ališauskien dijo told Eltai.
He noted that respondents who spoke in favor of the march in the poll protested against the government in general rather than stating their views on the event and the specific demands made during it.
“This is a protest against the current government, an opposition to the Seimas politicians and the government,” said the sociologist.
According to her, it can be said that the position expressed during the march on the Association Law, the Istanbul Convention or other requirements raised by the initiators were not essential to choose the response options in the survey.
“The question of the Istanbul Convention and other family matters remained floating in the air as a pretext, but not as a reason. Quarantine, financial problems, lack of resolution of small business problems – all problems are concentrated here. After all, there were no other forms of protest. That’s a niche here, “he said.
Furthermore, the sociologist pointed out that despite controversial and radical personalities among the organizers of the “march”, there were no more prominent politicians among the organizers. This, the expert reasoned, as if in the case of the electoral commissions, it could have sent a message to the neighbors that the initiative comes from below, not from above.
“Maybe that’s why the event seemed social to people, but not political. It can even be a bit like voting for committees, which are more visible as a gathering of people, but not as a derivative,” he said.
R. Ališauskienė felt that respondents who expressed support for the “march” in the poll were more likely to do so and disliked politicians and public figures who had harshly criticized the event itself. According to the sociologist, it is necessary to point out that it was the most staunch opponents of the “family defense march” who contributed the most to promoting the controversial event.
Therefore, it is a support for the protest against the actions of the government, without entering into specific requirements or what is the opinion about the traditional family ”, commented the head of ‘Baltic Research’.
According to R. Ališauskienė, affirming that this survey shows a certain protest of society against the government, allows more sociological indicators.
“There are many indicators: and the intention to vote (if there were elections now), the support of the parties is also changing, looking at the same evaluations of the politicians. “The ratings of politicians who are in power are declining: the ratings of Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė are falling, basically those politicians who are more visible and who are associated with the government and the elite,” he said R. Ališauskienė.
Here, however, he pointed out that the public does not necessarily protest only against the right-wing rulers. According to the expert, at least in this case, and in the context of pandemic tensions in particular, society tends not to make clearer distinctions between the opposition and those in power.
“Some people seem to associate now that all parties are like the government and people are separate,” he noted.
The march also had the support of those who support the Partnership initiative
The sociologist assured that it is not surprising that, in the survey, the “march” could be supported by those surveyed who personally supported the Law of Alliances, an initiative against which, in principle, the event was directed in Vingis Park.
“Perhaps the aim is to show that on other issues – quarantine, pandemic or economic and social issues – they do not support the government, that they support the form of public opinion,” said R. Ališauskienė.
In general, the head of Baltic Research tended to think that the emotional factor should be taken into account when analyzing the results of this survey.
“It may be that the emotional component is more important than the rational,” he said.
In other words, in the case of this survey, respondents were more likely to lead the general context that had developed in the public sphere during the pandemic, creating not only a sense of frustration but also very clear divisions in society.
“It just came to our knowledge then. We see that it is Us and Them. And this is from both sides. This is no longer a debate, but a secession. Everything deepened during the year of the pandemic. That is why both the position and the opposition need to draw conclusions, “said the sociologist.
He doubts that it is easy for the organizers of the “march” to form a political party.
Despite the data from this survey and the increasingly frequent deliberations that the initiators of the “march” will use the wave caused by society to establish political strength, R. Ališauskienė says there should be no rush to talk about success of the new party. .
According to her, there are many significant differences between the people who supported the march in the survey, so it is not necessary to think about a more tangible mobilization of this population group.
“Yes, they are united by discontent with the government, but other things, social issues can be very different. It is not a very cohesive group united by the same values, the same way of life. That part of the population is simply too large and diverse to be able to connect with an ideology, ”said R. Ališauskienė.
The survey was conducted in 2021. May 20 – June 2. During the investigation, 1,018 Lithuanian residents (aged 18 years and over) were interviewed through personal interviews and 112 sampling points were carried out. The composition of the respondents corresponds to the composition of the Lithuanian population aged 18 and over by sex, age, nationality and type of settlement. The opinion of the respondents reflects the opinion of the Lithuanian population aged 18 and over. The error of the research results is up to 3.1%.
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