“We cannot afford to hate each other” - Latvian actor 0 5

Hostility and division are growing in Latvian society, but this is not a new phenomenon, emphasized entrepreneur and actor Ivars Auziņš during the broadcast of the program “Preses klubs” on TV24. According to him, humanity has already experienced similar periods of disunity, and they often ended with extremely dangerous consequences. Auziņš reminded that the history of the 20th century clearly shows how quickly internal conflicts can escalate into tragedies: “In Hitler's Germany, one person managed to split the nation in an instant, and it ended with people starting to burn each other's houses,” he noted.

Commenting on the protest against the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, Auziņš pointed out that there is not only an active, vocally expressive part of society, but also another - the silent one, whose opinion has gone unnoticed. “This is most likely the elderly and people who did not come to the protests and are now unheard,” he said.

Despite the tension, the actor does not see what is happening exclusively in a negative light. On the contrary, he believes that society has been given time for dialogue: “This period should be used for both sides to meet and openly discuss what hurts and what they fear.”

In Auziņš's opinion, the problem is much deeper than the dispute over the Istanbul Convention. It is just part of broader changes that began with discussions about wind generators and continued during the Covid-19 pandemic. “And then society split into two camps. Were such strict restrictions necessary? I think not,” he admitted.

Auziņš noted that many have still not recovered from those times - bitterness and distrust remain in society, which can lead to new conflicts. “Everything that is happening now is a consequence of past grievances. We need to use this time wisely and talk to each other. We cannot afford to hate,” he emphasized.