The world we live in, and the events unfolding in it, remind us every day that freedom and security are not a fixed or self-evident state of affairs. They are our greatest riches, but at the same time our most fragile values. We are living at a time when geopolitics, the economy and society are changing rapidly. In such conditions, the ability to guard one's country, to defend democracy and to strengthen society's resilience has become a task shared by the whole nation. We can no longer assume that the defence of the state is the duty of professionals alone – of soldiers, police officers or policymakers. Making sure that freedom is safe is a responsibility we all share.
A war is going on right now. Not only on the front lines in Ukraine. All of us are in a war at this moment – one in which the weapon is not a drone, a missile or a firearm, but words and actions. It is a war being waged over people's minds and behaviour. Hybrid attacks in the form of disinformation are directed against individuals and against society as a whole, driving a wedge between even the closest of like-minded people and the most trusted of allies, the dearest of friends and even families. Manipulation is under way, using the power of words and emotions, half-truths and outright lies. Behaviour that supports Russia's aggressive and merciless bloody war machine is being normalised and legitimised through propaganda narratives. The result is a society falling apart into ever smaller groupings, each trying to construct its own identity, which in the information space creates the perfect ground for ever new and ever wider rifts.
This is a new kind of weaponry, and we must learn to handle it no less skilfully than traditional arms if we are to protect ourselves, our community, our society and our nation. The strategy? Honest, open and businesslike dialogue. A space in which we ourselves do not exaggerate, do not speak in half-truths and do not allow individual messages to become a tool for splitting society. Where we do not deal in half-formed thoughts and do not repeat phrases in which we lose not only our authenticity but the wholeness of our thinking, our ideas and our convictions. We fail to recognise the power of words when we are afraid to argue our case. Yet we feel the full force of words when people are manipulated and absurd narratives take over the information space. We must not trade or cooperate with Russia in any way. We must tear up the tracks – both those that still seek to bind our minds to the aggressor and the physical ones that hold us in ties of economic dependence. Let us not let the war into our homes! Let us not let the war into Latvia!
Our freedom and security begin at the level of the individual – in the people and the environments in which we live: the family, the school, the workplace, organisations of like-minded people and communities. Their firm foundations are an understanding of history and self-respect. And it is precisely our history that reminds us of this in no uncertain terms. Latvians are a small nation, yet at all times and at every decisive moment we have shown courage and resolve. We have lived through occupation, deportations and the loss of our state, and we have endured. Not because we were numerous, but because we were determined. The courage to overcome fear is part of our national core. We did not let insecurity dictate our actions then, and we do not now. That is why today, too, we need not fear challenges, change, or the need to stand up to an insecure world. Fear will always be with us, but courage – the ability to overcome it – is what makes us great.
Once we understand the story of how our state came into being, it becomes clear why freedom is not a guarantee but a mission. The education system continues to strengthen this foundation by developing critical thinking, the ability to cooperate, to use technology and to find one's way through an abundance of information. These skills form society's invisible safety net, an inner conviction about the importance of democratic values. Democracy lives only if society believes in it. It is a continuous dialogue between people, society and the state, between differing experiences and opinions. It rests on the ability to listen, to reason and to take responsibility. Voting in elections, taking an interest in what is going on, holding critical but respectful discussion – these are the everyday pillars on which our shared democratic space rests.
Economic freedom is another dimension of security. A strong economy means a strong society. Entrepreneurs are not merely the drivers of the national economy – they are partners in security, creating jobs, paying taxes and investing in people, technology and innovation. We too, as Latvian entrepreneurs, have proved that we can think broadly and fearlessly and hold our own on the world market. That confidence gives us grounds to invest in people and in technology. In the long run, that is the safest investment there is.
One of the most significant fields of the future, when we think about freedom, security and the economy too, is drone technology. Its use is no longer a niche – drones have become an everyday tool in the emergency services, in forestry, in infrastructure monitoring, in construction, in agriculture and elsewhere. Operating these devices is a skill for society at large, not merely a technical competence.
The Baltic region's largest training centre for micro-class tactical drones, supported by Latvijas Finieris, is a striking example of what business and society can achieve together. It is a project for people – a place where knowledge circulates, where fear of technology turns into skill, and where the capacity to guard the country is born. Our ambition – 50,000 people a year with a knowledge of drone technology – is not overreaching. It is a necessity. Only a knowledgeable society is resilient, able to react quickly, to support the state in a crisis and to defend democracy out of conviction rather than fear. That is why the involvement of business in developing society's skills is not charity but the foundation of national resilience. Enterprise that invests in people and in education helps society to be ready not only for crises, but also for opportunities.
Security is not only how we act at a moment of danger. Security is an everyday attitude, clarity about our values, self-respect and a willingness to learn. Latvia is small, but our strength is immense – our history and our people bear witness to that. We are great not because we are many, but because we are brave.
Freedom is not an inheritance – it is a mission. We carry it out every single day.