wh y w e l o s t
68
Now that waves of populism have become the norm in politics, while the Conservatives
are increasingly seen as the only viable alternative by the informed minority, what are our
prospects for the future?
In the near future one can only expect a gradual growth in either Conservative influence
or in the party’s power base, insofar as recent studies suggest that there is no statistical
group or sociological niche available in Lithuanian society which could bring about a
significant enlargement of the conservative electorate. The main hurdles still facing the
Conservatives include inadequate public relations skills; petrified, self-enclosed party
organization that is clearly out of step with the conservative electorate; and, with the
exception of Kubilius, a deficit of the figures that would combine intellectual authority
and high visibility with popular appeal. On the current political playing field the Con-
servative Party remains the only ideologically committed party and the only one that
still generates ideas – such ideas, however, need not only to be generated, but also heard,
and listened to.
APPENDIX:
List of Major Parties and Their Acronyms
Homeland Union (Lithuanian Conservatives) - TS
Labor Party - DP
Liberal and Center Union - LiCS
Liberal Democratic Party - LDP
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party - LSDP
New Union (Social Liberals) - NS
Sąjūdis
- KS
Relevant Election Results
(% of votes, major parties only)
Party / Coalition
1992 1996 2000 2004
Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party
LDDP 44.0 10.0
31.8
Lithuanian Social Democratic Party
LSDP 6.1 6.9
20.7
New Union
NS
19.6
Lithuanian Center Union
LCS 2.5 8.7 2.9
Lithuanian Liberal Union
LLS
1.2 1.9 17.3
Liberal and Center Union
LiCS
9.2
Lithuanian Christian Democratic Union
LKDS 3.6 3.2 4.2
Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party
LKDP 12.6 10.4 3.1
Homeland Union
TS
31.1 8.6 14.7
Sąjūdis
KS
21.2
Labor Party
DP
28.5
Liberal Democratic Party
LDP
11.4
Union of Farmer’s Party and New Democracy
Party
VNDPS
6.6
