LITHUANIANS TURN INTO NATION OF EURO-ENTHUSIASTS

The number of Lithuanians who support their country's membership in the European Union is growing, reports the latest survey conducted by the Vilmorus public opinion research center. Valdas Gaidys, director of Vilmorus, says that the internal political situation, the privatization process and issues surrounding the Ignalina nuclear plant have influenced the attitude of Lithuanians toward future EU membership. The number of EU enthusiasts has consistently grown in recent months. A whopping 76.5 percent of respondents approved of EU membership in the month of November (in October it was 67.9 percent). Currently, only 9.7 percent of the Lithuanian population is against membership, with 13.7 percent of the respondents undecided about the subject. Vilmorus noted the largest growth of Euro-skepticism took place in November 1999. Gaidys mentioned several factors which had an influence on this skepticism. The public reaction to the privatization of the Mazeikiu Nafta oil refinery, the import-export offshore terminal and pipeline, was negative. The deal got bad media. Lithuanians started thinking negatively not just about U.S. Williams, which became the operator of Mazeikiu, but also about the "West" in general in the fall of 1999. The Lithuanian public also reacted negatively to promises made by Lithuanian authorities to the European Commission to close the Ignalina nuclear station. EC pressure provoked a defensive reaction.