(...) To put it figuratively, another novelty of Europe Day 2022 is Finland and Sweden considering the possibility of joining NATO. Even if such an accession does not ultimately take place, the relationships of our closest regional partners with Russia will have changed in any case. Not even because, as news of the potential accession broke, the Kremlin managed to spout astonishing stupidity – for instance, accusing Swedish cultural icons Astrid Lindgren and Ingmar Bergman of sympathising with the Nazis – accompanied by military threats. Much more significant are the very real threats to strip Scandinavian corporations of their assets in Russia, for example in the wood processing sector. Sweden and Finland, being rational states, will tolerate the Kremlin's latest babble, but not the confiscation of their businesses. (...)
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In recent weeks, both in the Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers, the thesis has been heard once again: “We must act this way, otherwise there will be penalties, infringement procedures, etc.” Often, such a pseudo-argument completely excludes reasonable disputes, discussions, or alternatives, forcing those responsible to make decisions hastily and not always in the interests of Latvia. Why is that?
Old habits are hardening - someone somewhere knows better, let us rely on them
Lack of sufficient capacity or laziness to defend a different point of view
A generation of cabinet officials has been created who are accustomed to accepting rather than delving into matters
This is a serious problem for Latvia for which no solution is being sought. It will probably be all right somehow...
Europe Day has a different flavour this year
