On 25 Apr., 17:21, "Henry Alminas" <halmi...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
[snip]
> Estonian labor unions are serious considering declaring a
> general strike. The railroad union, which has suffered more
> than any other from the Russian transit war, is the most active
> sup****ter of the move. Its leader, Oleg Chubarov, told
> Kommersant that he has studied the experience of
> the Union of Free Unions of Latvia, which forced the
> government of prime minister Aigars Kalvitis out of office
> last autumn. Now the new government of Ivars Godmanis
> has to reckon with them. A similar scenario is looking ever
> more likely for Estonia.
>
> Maxim Lensky, Nikolai Filchenko
>
> Original at:
>
> http://www.kommersant.com/p886482/r_530/foreign_relations/
That's a stretch. The Free Trade Unions didn't force Kalv=EEtis'
resignation -- a number of factors and a coalition of pro-democracy
groups, in alliance with the opposition, did. The Free Trade Unions
were behind the recent signature drive for the referendum to permit
the people to initiate the dissolution of Parliament, yes... but that
was a signature drive (there won't be a referendum until August or
September, assuming that the Saeima doesn't enact the necessary
amendments.
Yes, the new Government has to reckon with the people more (a little
more, anyway) because of the Umbrella Revolution so-called. No strike
was involved, though... and the scenario here was certainly not
motivated by a desire for closer relations with Russia; in some
aspects, quite the opposite! Good governance and the rule of law are
the major themes for those who protest and participate in these
referenda -- and the increasing creeping towards the Kremlin is very
disturbing to many of those who desire a decent country, obviously.
Kalv=EEtis is like a fat little Schr=F6der -- he's gone on to be one of
the principal founders of the new Dinamo, which will mix hockey with
gas to bring Latvia further into Russia's orbit.
Laila Pakalni=F2a, in her editorial sup****ting the signature drive, said
she was signing because the people need a mechanism to get rid of a
cabal that is capable of selling us to the Kremlin. That's part of why
I signed.
Ka=FEoci=F2=F0, the head of SAB (our CIA), is detestable to Russia. He was
just reconfirmed in his post, though the usual culprits were
interested in removing him; part of the reason was that they knew that
removing him might bring people into the streets again.
The minigarchs -- especially Lembergs -- are once again trying to
remove Loskutov, the head of KNAB, the anti-corruption agency. Again
-- they have to reckon with the people.
As the self-proclaimed "guarantor of stability," Kalv=EEtis evoked Putin
and his "managed democracy." Though the "moderate" "Russian Party" SC
joined New Era in the protests that helped bring Kalv=EEtis down, the
little "Revolution" had a national character.
The political landscape is changing. Sandra Kalniete and =CCirts Valdis
Kristovskis (highly respected and capable politicians who would be
called rabid Russophobes by our sovok friends here), leaving New Era
and the Fatherlanders, have founded a new political party.
Artis Pabriks has left TP, like =D0tokenbergs, and is starting another
new party that is clearly concerned about the pro-Russian course the
current coalition has taken.
TP, Kalv=EEtis' party and the leading party in government, is in the
doghouse.
Trade unions are in a peculiar position here -- they're changing, too,
but I think for the better. The party they've traditionally been close
to, the social democrats, is more of a national party now than it has
been since 1992; its flirtation with the Russians in the R=EEga Dome was
a mistake, and many have said so.
Transit is im****tant, obviously, and it has its lobbies -- truckers,
the railway, gas and oil interests, etc. But the old, simplistic
lyrics about saving industry by pursuing the glorious Russian market,
etc., really aren't heard nearly as often as they were a few years ago
(partly because most industry is dead, of course).
Trade with Russia is only about 10% of our trade -- by comparison,
Lithuania buys 17% of our ex****ts, Estonia 12,7%. Trade with the EU is
about 76% in im****ts and ex****ts.
Energy dependence is the big problem -- one this Government has
exacerbated.
But not too many people would give you the old litany anymore -- "if
we didn't turn our back on Russia," etc. ...because it doesn't make
sense. Gas comes at "European prices." Playing kissy-kissy with the
Kremlin won't solve the labor shortage and won't lower rising labor
costs.
Regards,
/P
http://lettonica.blogspot.com/
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