Main narratives:
- General anti-governmental sentiments;
- Blames of alleged russophobia.
Overview:
During the week multiple narratives claimed that the economy in Latvia is going downhill. Rail Baltica is like “throwing money in the furnace” and in a “bottomless pit”. Disconnecting from the BRELL power grid (Russia and Belarus) and synchronizing with Europe is a mistake, which will negatively reflect electricity prices in Latvia.
One article covered a social media post by Riga City Council member who wants to dismantle all the railways connecting Latvia with Russia. This random post was used to claim that Latvia wants to pursue irrational policies towards Russia, which are harmful to Latvia and its economy. A few articles and posts covered alleged russophobia in Latvia by focusing on anecdotal evidence – statements of one person and one isolated incident where a bus driver refused to answer passengers in Russian.
