So many things to write about....

My blog has been dormant since November. Back then, the parliamentary election was just over, Latvia had a new government and I thought it was going to be an uneventful time there... So, I stopped writing and focused on my work and other pursuits.

I was wrong! The last few months in Latvian politics have been among the most intense in the recent history. The president Vaira Vike-Freiberga confronting the parliament and initiating a referendum via Article 72 of Latvian constitution, which has never been used in that way (in 27 years that Latvia has been a democracy with the present constitution). One of 10 richest people (and, formerly, a kingmaker of Latvian politics), Aivars Lembergs, is behind the bars, accused in money laundering. Juris Hlevickis, who tried to buy his way towards becoming mayor of resort city Jurmala and came one vote short, is convicted. And, just a few days ago, our neighbor Estonia erupted in riots of the scale it has not seen for at least a decade...

Over the next days, I'll cover some of those events. First, later tonight or tomorrow, on riots in Estonia. Then, the upcoming presidential election and corruption scandals. On some of those, I might write two posts. One, describing the conventional wisdom dominating the Latvian media. And, then, the second, with the facts that don't fit together with the conventional wisdom.