Latvia Weekly

"Notumse" ("blackout") has been chosen by the Riga Latvian Society as the "word of the year," as chances of Mayor Olegs Burovs holding onto power look increasingly dim. Otto and Joe discuss the latest on Rīga City Council's game of thrones as well as Prime Minister Kariņš' first year in office, another ABLV Bank bombshell, Latvia's response to the Wuhan coronavirus, the surprising new head of the...

"Samazināt" is unfortunately our Latvian word of the week, as Latvijas dzelzceļš announces major workforce reductions as well as a decrease in the amount of rail cargo over the last few years. Otto and Olevs join Joe in Jelgava to discuss the fallout from this news as well as the importance of constitutional changes in neighboring Russia, a mixed economic outlook for 2020, irresponsible visitors t...

As the walls continue to crash around Mayor Burovs' fragile coalition, Mr. Burovs has sent the walls literally crashing down in one of Rīga Central Market's most notorious sections. Otto and Joe discuss this watershed moment in the history of Centrāltirgus along with Artuss Kaimiņš' final exit from the KPV LV party he founded, a showdown between environmentalists and the logging industry over prop...

"Klusums" is our Latvian word of the week, with the news cycle unusually quiet here in Latvia compared with the rest of the world's head-spinning past few days. Otto and Joe talk through a few major domestic stories and updates before getting into Latvia's connection with some of the recent major international events, and also call to Sophia in Ventspils to discuss the unusually warm weather and l...

Kristaps Andrejsons is a man on a mission to tell the west the true story of not just what happened in the Soviet Union, but what's happening in the region today. His "The Eastern Border" podcast has attracted hundreds of thousands of listeners and become his primary source of income, but such success has also lead to death threats that have cost him relationships, and a journey that has brought h...

With Otto still on his way back from Italy, journalism student Elizabete Dreimane joins Joe to discuss new year's traditions here in Latvia, along with a few important news stories that took place throughout the week. They also call fellow podcaster Kristaps Andrejsons from "The Eastern Border" program to hear about life and the weather in Ludza, a town just 30 km from the Russian border in the cu...

Happy new year everyone, and thanks to everyone who voted in the 2019 "person of the year" readers'/listeners poll! Otto and Olevs join Joe in Jelgava to reveal your choice along with the staff's "person of the year," the top 10 "stories of the year," and a few important stories and updates from the previous week. Crack open a bottle of champagne and settle down for a look back at the year gone by...

With the end of the year in sight, it's time for YOU to choose the most important person of the year here in Latvia who made a difference for better or worse. Join Otto and Joe as they reveal the top 10 nominations from listeners like you, and cover the week's most important news stories such as strict new anti-drunk driving measures, new regulations designed to protect journalists, a "zero waste"...

"Atkārtot" (to repeat) is the word of the week, with Rīga once again on the brink of re-do elections thanks to Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Juris Pūce's decision to use the "nuclear option" and initiate the dismissal of city council. Meanwhile in Ventspils, oligarch and mayor since 1988 Aivars Lembergs is on the brink thanks to being included on a US sanctions list. O...

"Apsaimniekošana" (management) is the word of the week as Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Juris Pūce reveals plans for potential early Rīga City Council elections in February due to the city's lack of a satisfactory waste management plan. Otto joins Joe from Rīga for a jam-packed episode where they discuss this among many other important domestic, international, and h...

"Atlaist" is our first ever "Latvian word of the week," with growing movements to dismiss both Saeima (parliament) and Rīga City Council. Join Otto and Joe as they discuss these ongoing situations along with a new plan for medical workers' salary raises proposed by Health Minister Ilze Viņķele, major legal troubles for Rīga Central Market, yet another diplomatic row with Moscow, a bold proposal to...

With Latvia's health care workers calling for the dismissal of parliament, the sacking of the health minister, and the rejection of the 2020 budget, Joe and Otto sit down for a special report on how we got to this point and what the most likely next steps and repercussions will be. Intro and outro music: "Looking Back" by Lee Rosevere, used with a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License...

Quarantined away due to illness, it's up to Joe alone to untangle the mess of intricacies that has led Rīga City Council to the brink of extraordinary elections that would take place barely a year away from the regularly scheduled 2021 ones. Otto chimes in with international stories and a look at the life of the recently departed legendary Guntars Gedulis. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarze...

In honor of the 18th of November, Otto and Joe come together to discuss Latvian Proclamation Day (often called "independence day") including how it came to happen, how it has been celebrated in the past and present, what it means to Latvians today, why people wear ribbons and carry torches, and the peculiar reason why the more than 30,000 people named Aleksandrs are especially important on this da...

Kris Akenfelds joins Joe to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Latvia's defeat of German and Russian forces in Rīga, remember the life of legendary artist Džemma Skulme, and discuss major stories such as protests by medical workers and regional reform opponents, the death of LNT, the Latvian Green Party's expulsion from the European Green Party, and more. Otto and Olevs also join from New York t...

While Otto and Olevs cover major international stories from far away in New York City, Joe and Matīss discuss questionable journalism about potential CO2 regulations, the blacklisting of a popular Russian singer, the challenges of Latvian language and driving exams, and much more! Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Weather theme: Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track...

Listen to Olevs and Otto interview Peter A. Ragauss, who serves as the Honorary Consul of Latvia to Texas, U.S., and a board member at the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation. He is an American Latvian with a strong connection from Latgale — the easternmost and arguably the most distinct part of Latvia. Find out how American, Latvian and Latgalian identities have formed Peter's personality, his way...

Otto, Olevs, and Kris join Joe and Līga in Jelgava to celebrate the Latvia Weekly Podcast's first birthday and discuss a range of issues including a new bottle deposit system, a change at the top of Saskaņa's leadership, President Levits' visit to Japan, and much more! Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Weather theme: Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ninja Sourc...

Otto and Olevs join Joe all the way from Berlin to discuss their most recent Baltic security initiatives as well as frost-resistant strawberries, Latvia's aging and CO2-happy car fleet, Jelgava's unhappy mayor, great achievements by Latvia's star female athletes, and much more! Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Weather theme: Smooth Jazz (am) by Backing Track Ni...

As they celebrate their 50th episode with a new theme song by sports correspondent Jorens Šteinhauers, Otto and Joe discuss the topsy-turvy week that Latvia's ministers had, with Finance Minister Jānis Reirs handing in the 2020 budget, Education Minister Ilga Šuplinska surviving a vote of no confidence and continuing her fight against Univeristy of Latvia rector Indriķis Muižnieks, Environment and...

With Otto busy preparing for the important yearly Riga Conference, Joe covers domestic drama such as the arrest of former Mayor of Daugavpils Rihards Eigims, renewed charges against current Mayor of Jurmala Gatis Truksnis, a football match fixing scandal, a possible solution to Rīga's trash problem, and much more! Otto and Joe did get a chance to discuss some major international stories together s...

This jam packed episode starts with a slate of bad news for Minister of Education Ilga Šuplinska and her Jaunā konservatīva partija but hardly ends there, with major stories including changes to citizenship law, a worrisome climate study, dramas both backstage at the legendary Dailes Theater and on Ķekava City Council, minimum income and pension increases, and the introduction of Burger King to th...

Otto and Joe make a call to new Liepāja resident Kris Akenfelds to discuss newly announced plans for increased rail service to "the city where wind was born," while sports correspondents Jöran and Oliver call in to discuss the latest happenings in Latvian football. Major stories discussed this week include updates to the kindergarten food poisoning scandal, a potential major development in languag...

Otto and Joe are back together in Jelgava to discuss a fickle forecast for both the weather here in Latvia and the Krišjānis Kariņš-led government as autumn has arrived in dramatic fashion. Meanwhile, sports correspondents Jöran and Oliver retell an exciting KHL hockey match between Dinamo Rīga and Amur Khabarovsk. Other topics this week include the Baltic states' first solar farm, good and bad ne...

Listen to Otto covering the battles over the budget, new parties getting a stronger hold, trashy tango in the capital, presidential and vice-presidential talks, topical history and future events and more. Surprise sports correspondents join in to cover the downs and ups of the national athletes. Opening and closing music by Anna Veisa