The President of the Latvian Restaurant Association and Associate Professor at the Latvian University of Biotechnology and Agriculture, Janis Jenzis, expressed the opinion on the TV24 program 'Preses klubs' that intimidating society with the Russian threat is used to divert attention from the country's economic problems.
According to him, the standard of living for residents of Latvia continues to decline.
“I will continue my theory of intimidation,” Jenzis stated, noting that, in his opinion, this approach has been used for the past seven years.
He emphasized that there are serious macroeconomic problems in Latvia, and in the context of the Baltic states, the situation is currently the worst.
“At one time, we were not in last place in all macroeconomic indicators, and now we are in that position in the Baltics,” Jenzis said.
He reminded that at the end of last year, Latvia had the highest inflation in Europe and very low purchasing power among the population. In his opinion, discussions about the Russian threat help divert public attention from these issues.
“Because this is the Trojan horse — the fear that Russia will attack and soldiers will come here,” Jenzis stated. In his view, against the backdrop of such fears, people think less about their financial situation and declining living standards. Jenzis emphasized that high inflation hits families with children particularly hard.
“Families with three children can afford much less. They can no longer afford to travel,” he noted, adding that for many families, the main priority now has become simply feeding and clothing their children.
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