Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize the independence of Ukraine's breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk has provoked a strong reaction from Western countries. This time it is harsher than it was after Russia's annexation of Crimea. Sanctions have been imposed on a number of Russian politicians, businessmen and officials. There are also sanctions against two Russian state banks, and so on.
The government of Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity, Jaunā Vienotība) has come up with a new regulation during the Covid-19 pandemic, where a number of previous retail and other kinds of restrictions will be lifted from March 1, but "the tail of the restrictions dog is being cut off little by little" - according to the "three-step plan" of Health Minister Daniels Pavļuts (Development/For!, Attīstībai/Par!), some of them will be lifted from March 1, others may remain in force until April 1. Once again, there is deep confusion in society as to which groups and sectors will be affected by restrictions and for how long.
The research center SKDS has established public trust indices and ratings for various institutions in Latvia, including non-governmental (public) organizations, which are various associations and foundations. The study found that in the category "All citizens", non-governmental organizations have a negative rating of minus 4.4. In 2021 and 2020, 40% of respondents have expressed that they do not trust them. But there was a time when the level of trust in them was noticeably higher - in 2010, 31% did not trust them.
A conversation with Normunds Vilnītis, member of the party For a Humane Latvia (Par cilvēcīgu Latviju, PCL), former head of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau.
On January 20, a monument to the Latvian freedom fighter and Soviet-era dissident Gunārs Astra, by sculptor Gļebs Panteļejevs, was unveiled in Baumanis Square in front of the Riga Regional Court.
Pētījumu centrs SKDS pēc Neatkarīgās pasūtījuma ir veicis apjomīgu sabiedriskās domas izpēti, tostarp izmērījis arī uzticēšanos Latvijas valdības ministriem pērnajā gadā. Jāsecina, ka starp viņiem vismazāko ļaužu uzticību bauda veselības ministrs Daniels Pavļuts (“Attīstībai/Par!” (AP)).
Yesterday, on January 12, 2022, President of Latvia Egils Levits met with Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš. The meeting is captured in the photos. Except that both President Egils Levits and Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, even when posing for photographers, did not wear the white FFP2 respirators sold in pharmacies, but used "black masks".
Jānis Urbanovičs, the leader of the Harmony (Saskaņa) party, expressed the following opinion in Neatkarīgā on January 8: "I have always shied away from criticizing the President of the Republic. Regardless of the personalities who hold the office, it is a symbol of Latvia, like the flag or the anthem. But we are living in such difficult times that we need not only a symbol but also a leader.
Instead of defending its honor and dignity with all its might against the large and influential newspaper Bild in Germany, the New Conservative Party (Jaunā konservatīvā partija, JKP) has announced that it will turn to the police against Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze, which published a story about the German publication.
The year 1991 is remembered in world history as a time of dramatic geopolitical change - several former Soviet republics declared independence and this year have already celebrated 30 years since their liberation. Latvia as well.
In Germany, after long negotiations, a government coalition was formed in early December by the Social Democrats, the Greens and the liberal Free Democratic Party; in Sweden, a coalition broke up and the government fell in June due to bitter internal political squabbles; in Finland, a coalition is formed by two big parties and a number of small ones; in Spain, the second government of Pedro Sánchez is a minority government formed by left-wing parties together with the Catalan nationalist party.