Latvia’s eastern region: international tensions and political system loyalty

Geoffrey Pridham*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Latgale’s frontier region status makes it vulnerable in a time of growing international tension, all the more because of its strong Russian minority and persistent socio-economic problems causing disaffection. A two-directional analysis of linkage interactions – inner-directed and outer-directed – highlights both external threats and also regional conditions that act as a check on ‘hybrid warfare’ activity, such as centripetal center–periphery relations, stabilizing factors in society and a new policy response by Riga to Latgale’s developmental needs. Latgale is therefore no ‘Crimea’ as it shows a basic loyalty to the Latvian state, very little support for separatism while of course Latvia benefits from NATO membership.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-18
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Baltic Studies
Early online date16 Jan 2018
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 16 Jan 2018

Keywords

  • Daugavpils
  • Harmony Centre
  • Latgale
  • Russia
  • separatism.
  • “hybrid warfare”

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