The grotesque shamelessness of Latvia’s political “elit...
All of the political parties which make up Latvia’s governing clique have major questions to answer about their occasional or sometimes utter lack of ethics and honesty. This month two in particular stand out.  These are the two parties which, according to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), grossly violated campaign financing limits during the 2006 parliamentary campaign – the People’s Party (TP) and the First Party of Latvia/Latvia’s Way (LPP/LC). The TP, whose leaders appear to believe that because they were elected to Parliament, they have been given carte blanche to do absolutely anything, was the most flagrant violator of campaign finance rules.  Those w...

  Fighting human trafficking...
In April two men in the United Kingdom were charged with trafficking Latvian women for prostitution.  Although most people in the Baltics like to think that this problem is more prevalent in Eastern countries like Moldova.  The reality is a lot of Latvians are caught up in the trade either as victims or perpetrators. The Marta Center for Women opened in 2001. Although Marta was originally set up to fight gender inequality in recent years the center has been caught up in the fight against human trafficking. What is  the human trafficking problem like here in Latvia? As we work together  Saeima (Latvian Parliament) and lawmakers in international law circles, we know th...

  WAS IT WORTH IT?...
A year has passed since the Tallinn riots, a two-day eruption of violence that, most unflatteringly, placed the tiny European country in the ugly side of the world spotlight. To this day the aftershock is still palpable, as Russian businesses continue to avoid Estonia and minority citizens refuse to integrate into a society they no longer respect, even abhor. In retrospect, all Estonians – particularly its leaders – have to wonder: was it worth it? Inevitably, conflicting reports have emerged as to the extent of the economic repercussions. According to one government report, the aggregate losses – direct and indirect – amount to 450 million euros, or nearly 3 percent of gross domestic pr...

  His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI...
NEW YORK -  When His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI took his first apostolic journey to New York City, he had no idea that his speech at the United Nations would win such global acclaim. Nor could he have known that he would go down in history as the first Pope to hold mass in the majestic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the first Pope to visit a U.S. synagogue, and the first Pope to land in New York City as a stranger and leave as a  star.   Lithuanians in particular had looked forward to the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI at the United Nations, and they were not disappointed. Lithuanian broadcaster Maria D. Rokuiziene  explained that although she had ...

  The music man...
The Estonian music business appears to be booming with record sales increasing every year. More international acts are also coming to the region. In the next few months expect to see Seal, Bob Dylan, Def Leppard and lots of other rock dinosaurs at a venue near you. Much of this trend, however, is an illusion. Far from getting rich, only a handful of local stars can even make a living. We spoke to one of Estonia’s leading show biz men. The Estonian music market is small, how on earth do artists make money? Indeed, most of them don’t. I believe the percentage of artists who make their living with music, is about the same as in bigger markets. So basically we are not doing so bad.  ...

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!...
Just when you thought the quality of leadership in Latvia had reached dead-bottom, it manages to sink even lower. So atrocious has the situation become that – forgive us for saying so – we are inclined to believe there might be a quirk in the Latvian gene code that renders all who ascend to positions of power in the Baltic state into moral troglodytes, creatures living in their own dimension of feel-good megalomania and self-ordained impunity. In the latest instance of appalling governance, the minister for electronic affairs, Ina Gudele, treated herself to an 800 lat (1,150 euro) birthday party last June at the expense of the Latvian taxpayer. Worse, the money spent on the bash had been...