A specter is haunting the Baltic States. It appears in different forms and with different names: Air Baltic, Mažeikių Nafta, Lattelecom, Ventspils Nafta, Latvenergo, Estonian Air. With their independence in 1991, the Baltic nations inherited enormous state enterprises, built to serve large parts of the Soviet Union, and thus too big for small republics like Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
By
Arne Bengtsson
January 11, 2011
With several old parties joined in new constellations, the Latvian party landscape may have turned its back on party fragmentation. The Latvian autumn sky is however clouded by low turnout, the lingering issue of corruption, and, in the shadow of the economic crisis, reports about possible vote-buying.
By
Emelie Lilliefeldt
October 9, 2010
Conor O'Dwyer, professor of political science, talks about a backlash at the political level also. Sexual minorities in Poland and Latvia have had their rights restricted following EU accession.
By
Tove Stenqvist
February 19, 2010
Latvia’s deep economic down-turn has brought about a historical political change. A left-wing party has won an election and come to power in Riga. The local party is dominated by ethnic Russian politicians.
By
Arne Bengtsson
February 19, 2010
+ Arne Bengtsson. Bronssoldatens hämnd: Baltiska betraktelser. [The Revenge of the Bronze Soldier: Baltic Reflections]. Vimmerby: grannland.com 2007. 411 pages.
+ Arne Bengtsson. Hotad frihet: Baltisk kris i skuggan av Moskva. [Threatened Freedom: Baltic Crisis in the Shadow of Moscow]. Vimmerby: grannland.com 2008. 365 pages.
+ Peter Handberg. Undergångens skuggor: missiler och möten: reportage. [Shadows of the Demise: Missiles and Meetings: Reports]. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur 2007. 206 pages.
+ Peter Handberg. Kärleksgraven: Baltiska resor. [The Tomb of Love: Baltic Journeys ]. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur 2008. 326 pages.
By
Torbjörn Eng
February 17, 2010
+ Elena Zubkova Pribaltika i Kreml, 1940–1953 [The Baltic States and the Kremlin, 1940–1953], Moscow: Rosspen 2008. 351 pages.
By
Lennart Samuelson
February 16, 2010
Political development in the three Baltic countries has not been equal. The development of democracy and the degree of corruption depends, among other things – it is argued here – on how the resistance against the Soviet Union was organized.
Essay by
Li Bennich-Björkman
February 12, 2010