Report
Lithuania Weekly: Targeting Lithuania’s Government with Criticism and Conspiracy Theories
Kremlin-aligned Lithuanian media amplified anti-government narratives this week, criticizing Lithuania’s pro-Western stance and support for Ukraine as detrimental to its sovereignty. Articles also highlighted economic challenges, drawing parallels with social crises in Europe and questioning the EU’s capitalist model. Additionally, narratives claimed Ukraine is losing the war, suggesting peace depends on NATO abandonment and territorial concessions.
Weekly Reports
Latvia Weekly: Russian Language, Passports and Threat of Muslim Immigrants
From the findings of the examined week, the main narratives concerned domestic issues such as corruption, life quality level, and Russian language use, remaining similar to the prior examined week. The content regarding the increase in passport prices, Russian language use, or potential migration often refers to the elderly population or children as social groups less protected within society. Moreover, some channels examined try to appeal to both Latvian and Russian-speaking audiences by simultaneously criticizing Russia yet encouraging Russian language use. Similarly, as in the prior weeks, the comment section is becoming more critical of the narratives expressed. However, regarding corruption, the expressed narrative is more highly supported by the audience and often includes hate speech towards leading politicians. The form of the content that reaches the highest engagement remains to be in video format.
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Estonia Weekly: School System, Languages and Radio
This week there were several posts about the government changing the language of instruction for all schools to Estonian and how this is not possible because the children who attend the Russian schools do not speak Estonian well enough to be able to learn using the language. This lack of learning Estonian was blamed on the government and how they have failed to integrate more Estonian into the Russian schools. There were articles written about the former “Russian radio” changing its name to “Super radio” and these changes implied Russophobia. Several posts also mentioned the corruption of the Estonian government.
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Lithuania Weekly: Anti-Ukraine Sentiments
During this reporting week, Kremlin-aligned media outlets focused on criticising Ukraine and everything that’s related to this country. Outlets kept on minimising Ukraine’s capacities, proposing an incoming loss in the battlefield, blaming the country’s officials and armed forces for corruption and generally discouraging support for Ukraine, basing it on the fact, that, allegedly, it’s ineffective and other countries have already made the ‘smart and reasonable decision’.
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Latvia Weekly: Corruption and Hate towards LGBTQ
In the examined week similarly as prior weeks the content was centered around domestic issues with main narratives being corruption within the Latvian government, the life quality level and the issue of Russian language use. The topic of Istanbul Convention or Covid-19 which have been prominent in the prior weeks is being less discussed with less content adressing the issues. Moreover, content which does adress the latter topics is receiving significantly less engagement as before. In regard to overall engagement, similarly as prior weeks the comment sections are significantly more critical by calling out the author on not refering to legitimate sources or overall being logically inconsistent. The form of the content that reaches the highest engagement remains to be in video format.
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Estonia Weekly: Mobilization, Censorship and Sports
This week there was a lot of talk about the 2024 Estonian budget and how this new budget will create more poverty and monetary hardships for the Estonian people. There was also a lot of mention of Prime Minister Kaya Kallas, her meeting with Ukrainian president Zelensky, and how many other politicians agree that her resignation would help the political situation in Estonia improve.
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Lithuania Weekly: Lithuanian Banks in the Target
Antanas Kandrotas, better known for his nickname Celofanas (Cellophane), convicted of scams and fraud, earlier this year announced his willingness to participate in the presidential elections. However, his decision came across many challenges, and it was not state institutions that decided to block his way to the elections, but private banks: they refused to open an election account for Cellophane, and without it no one can participate in the elections. During the reporting week, Celofanas alone posted 13 posts on his Facebook page, 10 of them were harshly criticizing the banks and actively broadcasting anti-government sentiments for his followers.
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Latvia Weekly: Scandinavian Banks, Private Planes and Flu Epidemic
Main narratives: Overview: From the findings of the examined week the content mainly surrounds domestic controversies especially concerning corruption. The main topic remains the private airplane flights taken by the ex prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš. Other topics include Scandinavian banks and Covid-19 however they are not widespread amongst all of the channels examined. Contrary to…
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Estonia Weekly: Taxes and the poor
This week there was a lot of talk about the 2024 Estonian budget and how this new budget will create more poverty and monetary hardships for the Estonian people. There was also a lot of mention of Prime Minister Kaya Kallas, her meeting with Ukrainian president Zelensky, and how many other politicians agree that her resignation would help the political situation in Estonia improve.
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Lithuania Weekly: Ukraine’s Prioritisation over Lithuania
Scrutinised pieces during this reporting week were mainly criticising the prioritisation of Ukraine over Lithuanian issues. Hostile outlets also further undermined Lithuania’s ongoing support for Ukraine, claiming that it “leads nowhere” and accused the government of Lithuania for putting the war in Ukraine first and domestic issues second. Also, Kremlin-aligned media harshly criticised local politicians, questioning their competencies and financial transparency (referring to previously analysed MG Baltic case).
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