“Canada is a Big Deal Here”: The eFP Battle Group and Host Nation Public Opinion

Abstract

Does personal contact between allied service members and local citizens result in greater public acceptance of foreign military presence? To what extent do members of the host nation's domestic society assess favorably the forward deployment of allied military personnel on their own national territory? Substantial scholarly literature has probed these types of questions in the context of US globe-spanning military deployments. This study, however, departs from the US-centric approach and focuses on the deployment of a middle power. In the presented analysis, we examine the Canadian approach to “winning hearts and minds” in Latvia. Today, upwards of 800 Canadian troops are stationed in Latvia. Using original survey data, we measure local citizens' attitudes towards the Canadian-led battlegroup. Our results speak to the fact that Canadian and other foreign armed forces' presence in Latvia is generally accepted by the wider society. Despite Moscow's active attempts to cultivate anti-NATO sentiments, the Latvian public welcomes the stationing of Canadian troops on the country's soil.