Migration crisis on the Belarusian-Latvian border

Newest developments on the Belarusian-Latvian border

On August 2, Agnė Bilotaitė, the Lithuanian Minister of Interior signed an order which allowed board guards to send back migrants to Belarus.[1] Following this, there was a rapid increase of migrants crossing the Latvian border from Belarus. In the four days, from August 7 until August 10, 218 illegal migrants had been detained at the border. As the border crisis deepened, on August 10 the Government of Latvia declared a state of emergency in the border municipalities. The state of emergency is in force until November 10.[2]

Reactions to the Belarusian provocations

Lithuania at the center of Belarusian provocations and illegal migration

One week after the preliminary apogee of the Belarusian provocations against Lithuania and the EU with a high number of illegal migrants at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border and verbal threats of possible terrorist attacks in Lithuania, the arrival of illegal migrants to Lithuania has initially stopped. However, this situation has led to consequences for the neighboring states of Latvia and Poland. Lukashenka continues to try to destabilize the situation. He wants to prevent illegal migrants from returning to Belarus. In a special session on August 10, the Lithuanian parliament made far-reaching decisions to deal with the crisis. It was decided to build a physical barrier and expand military powers. Not only the EU, but also NATO are now asked to provide support in the crisis.

Illegal migration as a political weapon

About the situation on the Belarusian-Lithuanian border

The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly threatened the EU to allow refugees from war zones to enter the EU in response to the sanctions imposed on his country. The main target is Lithuania, which has an almost 680 kilometer long and mostly unprotected border with Belarus. The increase in illegal migrant flows from Iraq and African countries is actively promoted by the Belarusian regime. According to Ylva Johansson, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, this is not just a migration crisis, but an act of aggression aimed at destabilization.

January 1991

Barricades in Latvia

On 18 November 1918, the People’s Council of Latvia, founded by Latvian political parties, declared the Republic of Latvia de jure. However, actual independence had to be fought for with weapons and there were casualties. The Latvian War of Independence lasted two long years. On 4 May 1990, the Supreme Council of Latvia, elected in the first free elections of the Latvian SSR, declared restoration of the independence of the Republic of Latvia de jure. What followed this time, was nonviolent resistance under the auspices of the newly elected parliament, so as to regain independence de facto. We used no weapons, just our bare hands and the power of the nation’s spirit. There were casualties. The decisive battle came in January 1991.

Thirty Years since the January Bloodshed in Lithuania

Lithuania marks the Freedom Defenders’ Day on January 13th to commemorate the 14 victims that lost their lives during Soviet aggression exactly thirty years ago in Vilnius. The tragic events were of international significance as they marked the coming end of the Soviet Union. To this day, the memory of the bloodshed also reveals the stark divides between the Baltic States and Russia.

Lithuania Has Voted for Change

The outcome of this year’s run-off election confirmed the election result of the first round of voting

The outcome of this year’s run-off election confirmed the election result of the first round of voting. While in the last election the seemingly clear-cut victory was lost during the 2nd round of voting, it was mostly representatives from the centre-right parties who prevailed in this election, even in the run-off. As a result, Lithuania will have a new government headed by Ingrida Šimonytė. The run-off election took place in 68 constituencies and only three candidates won their constituency during the first round of voting, including Šimonytė. In the run-off election, the party of the prospective future Prime Minister was successful in 26 constituencies. With a total of 74 representatives from parties of a potentially centre-right coalition versus 67 of the then opposition parties, there are great prospects for a successful term of office.

Litauen vor der Parlamentswahl - Spannungsarmer Wahlkampf im Schatten von Covid

Kurz vor der Parlamentswahl bleibt das Wahlergebnis schwer vorhersagbar. Potenzielle Koalitionen werden wohl erst nach dem zweiten Wahlgang feststehen.

Am 11. und 25. Oktober werden die litauischen Bürger ein neues Parlament, insgesamt 141 Abgeordnete, für eine Amtszeit von 4 Jahren wählen. Bereits Anfang des Jahres nahmen in der Öffentlichkeit Diskussionen zu diesem Thema zu, deren Verlauf, wie auch die Situation im Land insgesamt, kurze Zeit später durch die COVID19-Pandemie wesentlich beeinflusst wurden. Die Gruppe der drei in den Meinungsumfragen führenden politischen Parteien bleibt seit längerem unverändert: Die Konservativen (Vaterlandsunion-Litauische Christdemokraten, TS-LKD), Litauischer Bund der Bauern und Grünen (LVŽS) und die Sozialdemokraten (Litauische Sozialdemokratische Partei, LSDP). Da die Parlamentsmehrheit es nicht geschafft hat, die 5-Prozent-Wahlhürde gesetzlich auf 3 Prozent zu reduzieren, haben die vor kurzem gegründeten Parteien weniger Chancen, in den Seimas gewählt zu werden, da nicht damit zu rechnen ist, dass sie größeren Zuspruch finden. Dadurch wird auch davon ausgegangen, dass in dem neu gewählten Seimas weniger Parteien vertreten sein werden.

Vorgezogene Neuwahlen in Riga

Ein Korruptionsskandal brachte die Stadtregierung in Schwierigkeiten

Riga hätte eigentlich erst im Sommer 2021 wählen sollen. Doch ein erneuter Korruptionsskandal brachte die Stadtregierung in Schwierigkeiten. Rund zehn Jahre bestimmten die Parteien „Saskaņa“ (S)/ „Harmonie“ und „Gods kalpot Rīgai!“ (GKR)/ „Es ist eine Ehre, Riga zu dienen!“ die Politik der lettischen Metropole, und dies trotz zahlreicher systematischer Korruptionsversuche. Lange Zeit wurden alle Angriffe auf die Stadtregierung durch den damaligen Bürgermeister der Stadt, Nils Ušakovs, abgewehrt, der seit dem letzten Jahr Abgeordneter im Europaparlament ist.

Economic Perspectives for Lithuania in Times of COVID-19

Economic Promotion Programme and a Corona Package of Measures to Help the Shrinking Lithuanian Economy

Various institutions estimate that we can expect the Lithuanian economy to shrink from 7.3 to 8.1 per cent in the year 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic. In March, the Parliament adopted a programme concluded by the government to promote the economy and mitigate the effects of Covid-19. One of the newly planned measures met with sharp criticism.

Estnische Wirtschaft – Chancen und Risiken in der Corona-Krise

Hilfe für Estlands Wirtschaft in der Krise

Auch Estland hat unter den Beschränkungen durch die Corona Krise zu leiden. Die Wirtschaft wird insbesondere vom Einbruch des Tourismussektors, der Schließung aller Kultur- und Freizeitstätten sowie von den Ladenschließungen besonders hart getroffen. Die Regierung hat daher wie auch in anderen europäischen Staaten Maßnahmen ergriffen, um Bürgerinnen und Bürger zu schützen und Unternehmen zu unterstützen. Ein Unterschied zu anderen Ländern besteht darin, dass Estland durch seine ausgeprägte IT-Struktur erkennbar Chancen zur weiteren Entwicklung dieses Wirtschaftsbereiches sieht und auch ergreift.