What is wrong with Latvia? Why the middle Baltic state lags behind
Latvia has often been overlooked when it comes to the socio-economic advancements made in the Baltics. While neighbours such as Estonia and Lithuania have promoted themselves as technological hubs, the middle Baltic state has lagged behind overall. This position appears to be due to a variety of factors.
The cover of the Latvian weekly current affairs magazine Ir for the last week of November 2024 struck a tone hardly unfamiliar in this neck of the woods: “Why are the Estonians paying less for Rail Baltica but getting it done faster?” Close observers of the nation’s mood, aspirations and insecurities over the three-and-a-bit decades since it restored its independence will have seen comparable sentiments expressed many times.
The cover of the Latvian weekly current affairs magazine Ir for the last week of November 2024 struck a tone hardly unfamiliar in this neck of the woods: “Why are the Estonians paying less for Rail Baltica but getting it done faster?” Close observers of the nation’s mood, aspirations and insecurities over the three-and-a-bit decades since it restored its independence will have seen comparable sentiments expressed many times.
February 28, 2025 -
Will Mawhood
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AnalysisIssue 1-2 2025Magazine
Construction works at the Riga Central Station for Rail Baltica – the self-described “project of the century” that aims to link Berlin with Tallinn via Warsaw, Kaunas and Riga. With costs ballooning, the EU has declared itself unwilling to commit to further funding, meaning the Latvian government must now somehow come up with the vast outlay required. Photo: Tanya Keisha
