Even 30 years following regaining independence, Latvian society is deeply divided: Latvians and Russians, rich and poor have very different views on the most important issues, according to the results of a SKDS poll commissioned by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The results will be published this week, but “Ir” has had the opportunity to get acquainted with them earlier.
The survey provides much food for thought, but two findings seem particularly important. First, support for freedom and democracy is high among Latvians, but it is mixed. The majority of the population (52%) believes that Latvia should never abandon its democratic model of governance, but a third of residents yearn for a strong leader, and among Russian-speaking and low-income people, this number is as high as half of those surveyed. Moreover, many of them would like to return to the Soviet era, which they consider an ideal period in Latvia’s history, and in the future, they would prefer to build relations with Russia rather than the European Union. In one region, there are even more supporters of a strong leader than democracy: Latgale.
The second conclusion is that the majority of respondents value freedom above material well-being, but this does not mean that Latvians are ready to live in poverty. The overwhelming majority (71%, with great unanimity in all demographic groups) want to see economic growth as a priority direction for the country’s development, and consider economic problems to be the main internal threat to the country.
Most Latvians feel happy and satisfied with life, however, if we assess the general mood in society, we notice uncertainty and fear of tomorrow.
The main external threat that worries half of the population is war, followed by economic problems.
There is also a strong demand in society for greater social responsibility of the state – 62% of respondents believe that the government should do more.
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2024-07-03 03:04:27
