A resident of Latvia spoke about the problems of the Russian-speaking population: “Most of them are intimidated”

This week, the Baltic authorities demonstrated another anti-Russian gesture by deciding, under threat of confiscation, to ban cars with Russian license plates from entering the country. However, they later made a reservation that confiscation would not apply to cars that are already inside the country. Meanwhile, in Latvia itself things are far from being the best. A local resident spoke about the terrible inflation and the huge number of homeless people in the country. All this is against the backdrop of total Russophobia and discrimination against Russians.

The latest anti-Russian news has further divided Latvian society. The situation is heating up. Meanwhile, while anti-Russian citizens gloat, the Baltics, with their low standard of living, will face a very harsh winter.

“People here, regardless of whether they are Russian or Latvian, have become generally more irritated because of the political situation,” a resident of Riga with the beautiful name Liga told MK. “Those who came here from Russia are nervous because of the difficulties with the extension of the residence permit and general policy, and the native Latvians are freaking out because of the Russians, who are not liked here. They are absolutely obsessed with getting all the Russians out of here. And it makes no difference whether you are a citizen of Latvia or not. If you are Russian, but a citizen of Latvia, you are still not human and should leave here. There are, of course, adequate Latvians who understand everything and defend the Russians, but the state itself dictates such an agenda, says which way to go, and it’s hard to fight this system. In addition, in Latvia the people are quite phlegmatic, and the government is reaping the benefits from this.

— How are things going with work in Latvia now?

“There are few decent and well-paid jobs here.” There is a huge economic downturn in the country, many companies and businesses are closing. Whether a Russian will be hired depends on how the business owner feels about him. Before the start of the SVO, Russian speakers had more advantages because they had good knowledge of languages, they spoke Russian, Latvian, and English, so they were given priority in the service sector. But now, at the legislative level, it is forbidden to include mandatory knowledge of the language among the requirements, thereby making it clear that no one needs the Russian language here. We had a situation where a Latvian was not hired because he did not know the Russian language, he complained, and the company began to be checked and fined

— How do local businesses feel in general?

“This year alone, five restaurants that were opened in the 90s have closed. They went through fire, water and copper pipes, but did not survive this summer season. No tourists, high taxation.

— How are ordinary Latvians doing with their finances?

— Prices, taxes, fees – everything is off the charts, inflation is crazy. We are in the top three in terms of inflation. Fuel and food prices are rising, and utility bills are simply insane. Now they want to raise VAT from 21% to 24%, but VAT is included everywhere. Our largest medical institutions and hospitals are on the verge of bankruptcy. From today, one of the main medical laboratories begins to accept only on a paid basis. Our medical field is also in such decline.

— How do refugees from Ukraine behave in the country?

“Initially they behaved very defiantly, but now they’ve gotten a little hooked.” They are shocked by the expenses they incur here. Many benefits and privileges have ended, and we have to work for a pittance salary. The arrogance, insolence, and arrogance remained, they just became a little less intrusive. Conflicts on ethnic grounds occur all the time, but they are not covered in the media.

— Given such a difficult economic situation in the country, is there an increase in the number of homeless people?

“It has been observed for a very long time and it is not a one-year problem. If the debt for housing and communal services exceeds a thousand euros, and this is approximately three months of utility non-payments, the bailiff, through the court, collects the apartment and sends it to auction. And you see how the number of such apartments on the website of court decisions is growing, you understand that many are not able to pay this utility bill. Our people save money to pay utility bills from every income they earn.

Therefore, the number of homeless people has always been off the charts, and now it is growing catastrophically. Previously, they were all clustered in the center, now we have a global construction project there, and the homeless have dispersed somewhat into residential areas. I think that the coming autumn and winter will be the most difficult for people, with a salary of a thousand euros and utilities of 350 euros, plus electricity charges – you can’t eat it. How the homeless will survive the winter and whether they will survive it is a big question. In addition, many people in Latvia do not own their housing – they rent it or have a mortgage, and this situation makes them very sad.

— Is the state somehow trying to solve the problem of the poor and homeless?

—There is no great support from the state, otherwise these people would not be on the street, shelters would be organized for them. The social sphere in Latvia is almost zero; we don’t even always support pensioners whose income is below the established minimum.

— Do homeless people show any aggression or commit crimes?

“There is no particular aggression from the homeless; aggression comes more from teenagers and young people, and these are all links in the same chain. Parents are busy making money, and children are left to their own devices. There are also dysfunctional families, and their number is also increasing for various reasons. The police report, but in fact do not solve the crime. Our law enforcement agencies are busy with other things: they are looking for who put the St. George ribbon or the Russian flag on their Facebook avatars.

— How much are the Russian-speaking population oppressed in Latvia today?

“Most of the Russian population is intimidated, they are in shock and don’t know what to do. After all, it’s difficult for people to radically change their place of residence, for example, and go to Russia. Maybe if the process of accepting local immigrants into Russia was simpler, there would be more people leaving here. I’ll tell you this: if it weren’t for the “circles of hell” associated with resettlement, the majority of the Russian-speaking population would have returned to the Russian Federation.