· February, 2009

Stories about Latvia from February, 2009

Russia, EU: “Policy-Media Interaction” and Blogging

  18 February 2009

Vilhelm Konnander posts his reflections on Russia-focused blogging and “policy-media interaction”: “So, by the end of the day, there is little room for deviance as the public policy-media discourse evolves. When one, to the contrary, gets one's message across, there is no saying how it will be processed by its...

Japan: Hetalia Axis Powers and the limits of parody

  17 February 2009

Hetalia, a satirical manga set mainly during the Second World War and featuring national protagonists of that era, has attracted attention among both domestic and international audiences for its caricature of world nations. In this post, read reactions in translation from bloggers in both Japan, where the manga originated, and in Italy, the country most strongly ridiculed.

Latvia: Hard Times

  5 February 2009

BBC's Mark Mardell writes about the political and economic situation in Latvia: “These are hard times for many Lativans, but they will probably get much harder.”

Latvia: Vote of Confidence

  5 February 2009

Manuel Alvarez-Rivera writes at Latvia Economy Watch that “the four-party coalition cabinet of Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis remains in power for the time being, having survived a parliamentary vote of confidence on February 4″ – but “an early general election – one year ahead of schedule – remains a...

Europe: “Who Needs the Euro?”

  4 February 2009

Andrei Tuch of AnTyx writes at Th!nk About It: “So, for the eleven member states who still use their own currencies – and especially the more developed ones, whose economies might have some chance of standing on their own without leaning on the European Central Bank – the question is:...

Latvia: Farmers’ Protests

  3 February 2009

BBC's Mark Mardell, Baltic, and All About Latvia write about farmers’ protests and other political matters in Latvia; All About Latvia posts pictures from the protests.