EUPopLink Country report - Lithuania

Abstract

Populism in Europe today takes different forms, but it often connects to Euroscepticism by portraying the European Union (EU) as distant from ordinary people and overly intrusive in domestic politics. Such discourse not only criticises the EU; it also deepens mistrust, turns political opponents into internal enemies, and makes democratic compromise seem weak or illegitimate. This report examines how Euroscepticism in Lithuania is linked to populism through the discourse of two populist actors, Remigijus Žemaitaitis and Petras Gražulis. Neither calls for Lithuania to leave the EU. Instead, both express soft or conditional Euroscepticism: they accept membership in principle, but oppose aspects of European integration that, in their view, limit national sovereignty, weaken national identity, or impose unwanted norms. The report treats both primarily as valence populists. They do not mobilise voters through a stable left-right ideology, but through anti-elite rhetoric, anti-corruption claims, and appeals to represent “ordinary people.” In Lithuanian case, populism is framed as an antagonism between the “ordinary, good Lithuanian people” and “a corrupt, irresponsible government,” and through “cultural wars within the state.” Their populism does not fundamentally differ in type; the main difference lies in targets and intensity of their discourse. Gražulis is primarily associated with anti-gender politics, hostility towards LGBTQ+ rights, criticism of Pride events, and the defense of traditional family values. Žemaitaitis deploys a similar anti-elite logic in a more radical and authoritarian style: he frames political opponents as enemies of Lithuania, criticises EU’s social liberal agenda, and is also known for antisemitic statements and sharp attacks on journalists, especially the Lithuanian public broadcaster, LRT. The danger of this discourse lies not in any realistic prospect of Lithuania leaving the EU, but in its wider social effects: normalising distrust, intensifying polarisation, and weakening respect for democratic institutions from within.