|
|
Post by Jaga on Jan 20, 2009 20:52:08 GMT -7
Baltic Downturn Deepens as Political Unrest Grows
The once high-flying Baltic nations won't see any relief to their budgetary problems as they head into deeper recessions than previously forecast, the European Commission said Monday.
The more-pessimistic outlook follows street protests last week across the region over government measures designed to shore up strained public finances.
The commission, the European Union's executive arm, cut gross domestic product predictions for the economies of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania on Monday, saying the global financial crisis would exacerbate a downturn as property markets slacken and credit freezes.
Latvia had the EU's highest GDP ...
|
|
|
|
Post by Jaga on Jan 20, 2009 20:57:41 GMT -7
15 Injured, 80 Detained in Lithuanian Clashes 19 January 2009 By Gary Peach, Liudas Dapkus / The Associated Press VILNIUS, Lithuania -- Violent political protests sweeping parts of formerly Communist Europe have spread to Lithuania, where police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at a rock-throwing mob attacking the parliament. Fifteen people were injured and more than 80 detained Friday in several hours of street fighting between angry protesters and helmeted riot police. The violence followed similar riots earlier in the week in Latvia and Bulgaria amid a wave of discontent over economic woes, difficult reforms and government corruption. In all three countries, peaceful anti-government rallies ended in vandalism and brawls with police. "There are forces that are interested in destabilization and chaos in Lithuania, and they are using the public's dismay over painful reforms to achieve their hostile plans," Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said in Vilnius. His center-right coalition, in power for less than two months, has been criticized for tax increases that the government said were needed to shore up state finances. The Finance Ministry announced Friday that it intended to borrow 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) from the European Investment Bank to plug a yawning budget gap. The country's economy is expected to enter a recession this year. "We are here today because this government is mocking us," said Liucija Mukiene, a 63-year-old protester in Vilnius. "They are taking away our last money and providing nothing. I am fed up with the lies, corruption and those grinning, fat faces behind the windows of the parliament." see the photos: www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1010/42/373637.htm |
|
|
|
Post by archivist on Jan 21, 2009 10:05:51 GMT -7
TO the citizens of Latvia and Lithuania
We Brits have suffered that for years. Welcome to the club.
Neville
|
|
|
|
Post by tuftabis on Jan 22, 2009 11:38:23 GMT -7
Latvia had the EU's highest GDP ... to be more precise Latvia used to be among the EU states with highest GDP increase. The highest GDP in EU belongs to Germany, roughly 100 times as much as Latvian. The small economies are easier to accelerate but at the same time much easier to obliterate. Nonetheless Latvia used the good years properly - it is another country compared to what it was while occupied by Soviet Russia. It is a modern and progressive country, and it will stay so in spite of the crisis. |
|
|
|
Post by Jaga on Jan 22, 2009 20:30:50 GMT -7
Latvia had the EU's highest GDP ... to be more precise Latvia used to be among the EU states with highest GDP increase. The highest GDP in EU belongs to Germany, roughly 100 times as much as Latvian. The small economies are easier to accelerate but at the same time much easier to obliterate. Nonetheless Latvia used the good years properly - it is another country compared to what it was while occupied by Soviet Russia. It is a modern and progressive country, and it will stay so in spite of the crisis. Tufta, I agree, but somewhere somehod the info was that Latvia has the highest GDP, not the increase and this was very surprising to me but considering how fast the economy was growing there.... I thought - well, everything is possible. |
|
|
|
Post by Jaga on Jan 22, 2009 20:31:31 GMT -7
RIOTS in ICELAND and other European countries www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5563020.eceNew age of rebellion and riot stalks Europe Iceland has no army, no navy and no air force - but it does have riot police. On Tuesday night the black-uniformed troopers came out to quell the latest riots in Reykjavik, which erupted in front of parliament. The building was splattered with paint and yoghurt, the crowd yelled and banged pans, shot fireworks and flares at the windows and lit a fire in front of the main door. Yesterday the protesters gathered again, hurling eggs at the car of Geir Haarde, the Prime Minister, and banging cans on its roof. The transformation of the placid island into a community of seething anger - there have been half a dozen riots in recent weeks - is more than a regional oddity. |
|
|
|
Post by Eric on Jan 24, 2009 4:49:52 GMT -7
Strange... the Baltics haven't yet blamed Russia for their latest problems. Why is it taking so long?
|
|
Pawian
European
Have you seen my frog?
Posts: 3,266
|
Post by Pawian on Jan 24, 2009 14:19:22 GMT -7
Strange... the Baltics haven't yet blamed Russia for their latest problems. Why is it taking so long? This time Russia is going to escape unscathed. The country has been struck painfully by low prices of oil. Today I heard on the radio 1 million people lost their jobs in December alone. If it continues that way, today`s clashes in Lithuania or Western Europe will be a piece of cake compared to Russian ones in the nearest future. |
|
|
|
Post by Jaga on Jan 26, 2009 7:02:49 GMT -7
|
|
