Stories about Latvia from December, 2008
Central & Eastern Europe: Freedom in the Balkans; Visa Restrictions
Ari Rusila examines the Balkan-related results of the Freedom House's Freedom in the World survey at AriRusila’s BalkanBlog, and writes about the Henley Visa Restrictions Index, highlighting the results for countries of Central and Eastern Europe, at AriRusila's BalkanPerspective at Blogactiv.eu.
Central & Eastern Europe: Trademark on ;-) and Other Internet News
Below is a selection of recent posts by bloggers from around Central and Eastern Europe on social networking, participatory media, online activism and other related issues.
Latvia: Freedom of Speech Controversy
Prominent Latvians are outraged over the detention of a university lecturer at a seaside town of Ventspils by the security police. The economic crisis, a bank bailout, and the launched talks with the International Monetary Fund served as a backdrop for the arrest of Dmitrijs Smirnovs, who said this during a discussion at a provincial newspaper Ventas Balss: "The only thing that I can recommend is: first of all, do not save money in banks; second of all, do not save money in lats because right now it is very dangerous."
Latvia: Ruling party in trouble
Baltic comments on the potential for political crisis in Latvia, as news broke that Prime Minister Godmanis and his ruling LPP/LC party overstepped the legal threshold for campaign spending for the 2006 parliamentary elections.
Latvia: More on Freedom of Speech
Updates on the violation of the freedom of speech in Latvia – at Free Speech Emergency in Latvia.
Russia: Nord Stream
White Sun of the Desert writes about the “Russian threat to scrap the controversial Nord Stream pipeline project, which would supply Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, bypassing the Baltic states.”
