Category: Politics
When social policies fail in a time of economic crisis | Liene Ozoliņa
When the economic crisis of 2008 hit, communities around the world took to the streets, inspired by the “Occupy Wallstreet” movement, to protest the social inequality of the recession. But Latvia, the second-hardest-hit country, was tranquil. Social policies put the...
The shadow economy: it’s not all black and white | Arnis Sauka
Arnis Sauka has spent years researching the shadow economy and determining its impact. Having developed a methodology, fostered relationships with both business leaders and government officials and measured the impact over time, Arnis may be the first to tell you...
Slow down, democracy isn’t dead yet | Mārtiņš Daugulis
Despite living in arguably the best time in history, there is an increasing dissatisfaction in democracy. But why is that? If undemocratic societies become disillusioned because of the suppression of political speech, are democratic ones being worn down in the...
Democracy requires a space for conversation – here’s how to make one | Ieva Morica
In a conversation where the goal is to “win”, one emerges victorious, while the other – a loser. This game of right and wrong is a lose-lose situation, and has massive repercussions on the world we live in. Our ability...
The battle for hearts and minds: studying Russia’s influence in Latvia | Martins Hirss
Is Russia winning the so-called information war? Russia’s state-owned media produces high-quality propaganda. Russia invests money in pro-Russia organizations and radicals abroad. But is it working? Are people influenced by Russia’s propaganda? Is Latgale the next Crimea? In fact, the...
What I did not tell about Chechnya | Olga Dragileva
A journalist’s duty is to act as our eyes and ears out in the field, to convey to us the information they collected without distortion. But what if this puts the subjects of the report in danger? How can one...
The state is a deeply personal experience
How do we perceive country, nation, and state? The term 'country' emphasizes the physical dimensions and boundaries of a geographical area. The term 'nation' emphasizes a particular community of people with shared history and culture. The term 'state' stands for...
Can cute kittens save the news?
Over the last decade the life of traditional newspapers and news publishers has become increasingly challenging. It is more and more harder to attract and keep the reader's attention, and convince them to spend some money on it. The leader...
Two Lessons from Late Medieval Politics
Mass culture tells us that medieval political life was somewhat like ‘Game of Thrones’ – kings and dynasties fiercely fighting each other for power. This image is rather far from the complexities of late medieval politics, where institutions played at...