From Swedish Press Review, April 4
On Saturday SvD interviews Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, currently on a state visit to Sweden.
The paper describes the President as not being afraid of asserting her country's interests, not least against the powerful neighbour in the East. "We are in no way prepared to accept a historical description whereby Latvia was liberated from the Germans by the Soviet Union. Tyranny can never appear liberating," she says.
Therefore, Latvians consider the fact that the Swedish government for the first time last week officially described the Soviet Union's actions in Latvia as an "occupation" to be a major step forward. The President says to the paper that she is concerned over developments in President Putin's Russia. "When 60% of the population consider that Stalin was a good leader, it is troublesome," she remarks although she notes at the same time that political advances have been made in the past months.
The relationship to Russia is complicated, but so is the relationship to the West. In Sweden, the unions forced Latvian construction workers to leave a building site. "Personally, I was surprised over the matter, she says and adds that it feels like some of the EU's regulations are not followed. "The free market for services obviously does not work and many were surprised over what happened with the Latvian construction workers. If Latvia is to develop from its low standard of living, then we must be given a chance to compete. If we open our doors, other countries should do the same", says Vaira Vike-Freiberga. (2/4 SvD I: 26)