Main narratives:
- general anti-government sentiments;
- the incompetence of the current government;
- doubts about the transparency of democratic elections.
Overview:
Local news dominated reader attention this week, specifically focusing on coverage by Lithuanian media linked to the Kremlin. In the main spotlight are discussions about the first round of presidential elections in Lithuania and two candidates proceeding to the second round, the failure of the second referendum on dual citizenship, and the preparations for the second round of elections. Among the widely discussed sub-topics after the first voting round was the relatively huge voters’ support expressed for Eduardas Vaitkus, who gathered over 100K votes and even won in the districts of Visaginas and Šalčininkai (where most of the habitants are ethnic minorities). Gathering such support surprised many because Vaitkus has been constantly associated with pro-Kremlin activities. He publicly called Putin “an experienced politician who does what a head of the country has to do”. Kremlin-aligned media quickly covered the votes gathered, ensuring that “the government is terrified” as “ideas of Vaitkus are supported by over 100K voters!”.
