LSDP political scientist admits confusion over party’s strategy amid declining ratings

The ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) is facing internal disarray and plummeting approval ratings, with even its own supporters struggling to understand its recent political moves, a political scientist and party member has admitted.

Speaking to politika.lt, Vilniaus University’s Mažvydas Jastramskis said he could “not imagine what is happening inside the Social Democrats” and saw no clear rationale behind their push to amend the law governing public broadcaster LRT.

“I don’t see how the LRT law would benefit the party,” Jastramskis said. “Perhaps it’s not just about LRT, but since Gintautas Paluckas stepped down and Inga Ruginienė became prime minister, the ratings have been falling. Trust in the government is now lower than it was in Ingrida Šimonytė’s final year—and we’re not even halfway through the term.”

He suggested the party might genuinely believe its actions are ideologically justified, even if outsiders view them as irrational. “Sometimes these convictions become so deeply ingrained that they’re defended no matter how unfounded they seem from the outside,” he said. “I don’t think they believe this will help them win re-election or establish some kind of regime. Maybe they think that if they appoint a new LRT director and then lose the next election, it will be easier for them later. But honestly, I don’t see a single rational, coherent project here.”

Jastramskis drew parallels with Hungary’s electoral system under Viktor Orbán, which he described as deliberately complex and manipulated to secure a constitutional majority. He noted that Orbán’s Fidesz party recently lost most single-member districts—a “political earthquake”—but stressed that Lithuania’s political landscape remained distinct.