Stories about Latvia
Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania: Past, present, and future
Veiko Spolitis of Baltic discusses the past, present, and future of governance in the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Baltics: Any need for Baltic Sea cooperation
Litauen writes about [GER] the Council of the Baltic Sea states and how this organization is becoming increasingly superfluous as basis for Baltic Sea cooperation.
Latvia: May 9 in Riga
Arnis Balcus posts photos from the May 9 celebrations in Riga and writes: “In Latvia 9 May is more than just a victory celebration, it is also an expression of collective identity for local Russians.”
Latvia: Neo-Nazi Cleared of Hate Speech Charges
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports that the Latvian Supreme Court has cleared a neo-Nazi of hate speech charges.
Russia: Crisis and demography in Eurasia
Anatoly Karlin of Sublime Oblivion discusses the relationship between economic and demographic crisis in Russia and Eurasia.
CEE: Facebook Use Stats
Worldwide Facebook statistics – at Facebakers.com: in Central & Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic has most users – 2,634,300 people, the country's overall ranking is #29, penetration is 25.8%. It is followed by Poland (#31), which has 2,604,440 users, with 6.77% penetration. Serbia (#41) is CEE's #3: 1,997,540 users, penetration...
Latvia: All March 16 Rallies Banned
The Economist's Edward Lucas writes that “for once, the anniversary of a wartime battle in Latvia should pass off peacefully” on March 16. Juris Kaža of Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports on the ban on “all marches and gatherings at the Freedom Monument on March 16, the day that...
The Baltics: Laughland's Piece
Itching for Eestimaa dissects John Laughland's piece in The Brussels Journal, “The De-Russification of the Baltics Serves a Geopolitical Purpose”: “…I believe it contains some interesting and all-too-familiar anti-Baltic memes. Taken one by one, each can be unfolded and discussed. But put them all together, and you have one mesmerizing...
Latvia: Politics Update
Baltic writes on the political situation in Latvia – here and here.
Latvia: Political Cartoons
Political cartoons from Latvia, at Baltic blog – here and here.
Lithuania, Latvia: Capitals of Culture
Viola in Vilnius writes that Riga has been nominated as one of the 2014 European capitals of culture, and comments on how this year’s title holder, Vilnius, has done so far.
Latvia: Security Police Questions Blogger
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia highlights the case of a Latvian blogger who “harshly criticized the Latvian state and government as being little more than a rapacious mafia and has said in some posts that revolutionary violence against such a system would be justified” – and was later questioned by...
EU: Russophone Bloggers React to Dairy Farmers’ Protest
LJ user drugoi hosts a discussion of the Belgian dairy farmers' protest over low milk prices.
Latvia: Cable TV Provider's “Twitterista”
Telecoms in Latvia reports that a Latvian cable TV and internet service provider “has hired a full-time employee to look after its interests on Twitter and other social networks”: “It asked that the letter of application be sent in tweet format, 140 characters. There were quite a few applicants.”
Latvia: EU loan but on what conditions?
Baltic Economy Watch discusses EU's upcoming loan to save Latvia's economy and reflects on its conditions.
Russia: Retreat of the Cold Warriors
Gerhard Mangott discusses [GER] the recent letter by Central and East European leaders, warning the US of the consequences of a withdrawal from the region.
Latvia: Limiting civil liberties
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia argues that a new government proposal to expand security police powers would increasingly limit the scope of civil liberties in Latvia.
Latvia: IMF raises the stakes
Baltic Economy Watch speculates upon what new conditions the IMF has set for Latvia to receive new loans to avert the country's financial crisis.
Latvia: EU and IMF rift on Baltic economy
Latvia Economy Watch reports of increasing divergences between the EU and IMF on addressing the financial crisis in Latvia.
Lithuania: Russian charter challenges loyalty
Lituanica comments on news that a Russian NGO is starting to issue so called Russian charters – a certificate of allegiance to Moscow – to ethnic Russians outside of the country and sees it as a potential threat that state citizens of other countries may declare loyalty to Moscow.
Russia: Seven sisters – a short story
English Russia tells a short story with pictures of the Seven sisters – more known as Stalin skyscrapers – built in Moscow 1947-53, and points to other examples in the former “Eastern bloc.”
