Latvia Weekly

Episodes

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  October 31st, 2026: Coalition Slowdown, Citizenship Fiasco, and Air Baltic Layoffs 02.11.2026 1h 20m

  Joe is joined by Ņikita Andrejevs of Latvijas Radio to discuss major events over the last few weeks such as the glacial coalition formation process, staff changes for Andris Kulbergs, a catastrophic granting (and ungranting) of citizenship, more painful news for Air Baltic, dreams of a new fotball stadium, and much more! Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8 Photo Credit: Ann Douglas https://www.flickr.com/photos/anndouglas/247730111
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  October 8th, 2026: Kulberg's Historic Weekend, It's Not Easy Being Green(s and Farmers), Air Baltic Layoffs, and Bothersome Bridges 09.10.2026 1h 4m

  With the 15th Saeima Election done and dusted, Joe breaks down the final results, including Andris Kulbergs' historic victory at the top of the United List ticket, a big not not quite big enough night for Ainars Šlesers's LPV party, dissapointment for the Progressives and New Unity, disaster for the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the likely last gasps of Harmony and JKP. Other stories include planned layoffs at Air Baltic, more planned bridge renovation, and a renewed focus on mental health by public media. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8 Photo credit: Reinis Inkēns, used with a Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 license vis Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Andris_Kulbergs#/media/File:Saeimas_26.apr%C4%AB%C4%BCa_%C4%81rk%C4%81rtas_s%C4%93de_(52847902168).jpg
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  September 27th, 2026: The Final Countdown, Rail Baltic Reality, and Heating Price Headaches 27.09.2026 46m

  With one week to go until the thrilling conclusion of the 2026 Saeima Election, Joe breaks down major developments such as new revelations about candidates, security concerns about election officials, and the final polling data before looking at other major stories of the week. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8 The Latvia Weekly free election tool: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pw5VtlFGjHrsTLWoQFE07xniWFMxqZ5OiXzJDFMK-I0/edit?usp=sharing
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  September 19th, 2026: Air Bankrupt, Ministerial DUI Fallout, and NATO Support for Latvia 19.09.2026 45m

  Joe discusses the fallout from Air Baltic's bankruptcy proceedings, as well as other major stories such as the DUI arrest of a minister, the surprise cancelling of a wind farm, NATO air support for Latvia, and much more! Image: Aleksandrs Samuilovs, via Wikimedia Commons using a Creative Commons 3.0 license https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AirBaltic_Boeing_757-200_at_RIX.jpg Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  LW's Guide to the 2026 Election 05.09.2026 1h 34m

  Link to the LW Election Guide spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Pw5VtlFGjHrsTLWoQFE07xniWFMxqZ5OiXzJDFMK-I0/edit?usp=sharing Joe breaks down the 15th Saeima (parliament) election party-by-party after giving a basic overview of how the election on October 3rd works, including party platforms and current polling data.
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  August 24th, 2026: Blowin' In the Wind, CSDD Fallout, Air Baltic Rescue, and Counterfeiter's Plans Up in Smoke 24.08.2026 57m

  Joe is back from a summer break to break down the continuing fallout from Cyclone Priska's tour of destruction throughout Latvia, calling into Gary Dickenson near Valmiera and Kris Akenfelds in Liepāja to hear how they fared the storm before covering other major stories of the week. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  July 10th, 2026: Vanšu Bridge Closure Concerns, Air Baltic Debt Doubts, and Justice for Jelgava's Flower Thieves 17.07.2026 38m

  As Latvia gets ready for another weekend of summery weather, Joe talks through major stories such as the completion of a not-fully-usable new Central Station rail terminal, more financial fears for Air Baltic, the potential closure of one of Rīga's busiest bridges to personal traffic during renovations, and much more! Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8 Image credit: Juris Seņņikovs via Wikimedia Commons, used with a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van%C5%A1u_tilts_-_panoramio_%282%29.jpg
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  July 10th, 2026: Road Ruffians, Election Season Kickoff, NATO Promises, and Avoiding Burnout(s) 10.07.2026 57m

  Joe is back with a full-length episode to discuss the opening of the election season with party lists submited, new polling data out, and a full month of the new coalition having gone by. Also, Gary Dickenson of Baltic Homesteaders once again calls in to update us on how his homestead has fared the massive rain that's hit Latvia over the past week. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  June 23rd, 2026: Midsummer Greetings 23.06.2026 14m

  Līgo Līgo! As Joe was looking for oak branches this morning, he recorded a midsummer-themed mini episode, with Gary from Baltic Homesteaders also calling in with greetings!
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  June 16th 2026: Student Perspective on the News and Voicemail from Vidzeme 16.06.2026 29m

  For this mini-episode, Joe is joined by two of his students, Divs and Marja, to give their perspectives on some of the biggest stories such as the drone incursions into Latvia and the upcoming election in October, while Gary gives an update on his Baltic Homestead. Image credit: Pixabay Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  May 28th, 2026: New Government, New Threats, and Hockey Hopes 28.05.2026 42m

  Joe recaps the collapse of the Siliņa government and the lightning-fast coalition formation process that has left Andris Kulbergs on the cusp of becoming the next prime minister, as well as other stories such as the arrest of high-level officials over alleged corruption in the forestry industry, continued drone incursions into Latvia, success (so far) at the international ice hockey championship, and much more! Photo credit: Reinis Inkēns, Saeima Used with a creatice commons license: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/52916581420/ Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  May 8th, 2026: Drone Drama, Parking Problems, and Wind Turbine Looting 08.05.2026 59m

  As the investigation over a series of drones that crossed into Latvian territory, some of which crashed into an oil storage facility, the political fallout has already begin to fall. Joe is also joined by Søren von Holmberg to discuss local controversy over traffic changes in the Grīziņkalns neighborhood of Rīga, as well as by Gary Dickensonnof Baltic Homesteaders to hear how things are going near Valmiera.
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  April 27th, 2026: Gone With the Wind 27.04.2026 36m

  Joe discusses the results of a wind storm over the weekend as well as follow-ups to stories from the previous week, while Gary checks in from Vidzeme on the latest developments at his homestead. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  April 21, 2026: Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Politics in an Election Year 21.04.2026 44m

  After an unintentional break due to being "aizņemts," Joe is back to discuss major happenings especially in the world of transportation and politics, with Gary calling in with a "Voicemail from Vidzeme" to let people know how things are going at his homestead near Valmiera. Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  LW Interviews: Checking in with Baltic Homesteader Gary Dickenson 07.03.2026 31m

  Following his appearance on the LTV1 show "Zemes stāsti" ("Stories of the Land"), Joe checks back in with Gary Dickenson of the popular "Baltic Homesteaders" social media pages as he gets ready for spring near Valmiera and reflects on how his content has evolved over the past few years. You can check out Baltic Homesteaders on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/baltichomesteaders/ You can listen to our first interview in 2020 here: https://soundcloud.com/latviaweekly/lw-interviews-baltic-homesteader-gary-dickenson
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  February 28, 2026: A Dream of Spring, a Lack of Stability (on Ice and in Parliament), and A Somber Anniversary 28.02.2026 1h 2m

  Gary Dickenson of the Baltic Homesteaders social media pages joins Joe to discuss the long-awaited but potentially treacherous arrival of spring along with other stories, such as a real-life "Nāves ēnā" situation avoided thanks to 21st century telecommunications, Latvia's commemoration of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine, the ironic collapse of the "For Stability" faction in Saeima, Estonian frustration with Latvia over Rail Baltic, the introduction of more average speed cameras, a suspected supermarket cartel, and much more!
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  February 15th, 2026: White Alert, Winter Olympics, and Atvara goes Supernova 16.02.2026 51m

  Alan Anstead from the Englishman in Latvia podcast joins Joe for a look back over the previous weeks' major stories, such as the continued extreme winter weather, Latvia's Olympic ups and downs, more Rail Baltic controversy, and an official response from the Latvian Language Agency about the term "Coolcation!" Please listen to Alan's podcast here: https://englishman-in-latvia.com/ Photo credit: profernity, used with a Creative Commons License http://flickr.com/photos/flickr/55080045296/ Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission International Outlook music: Background News by MiroMaxMusic via Pixabay pixabay.com/music/upbeat-background-news-438895/ Akenfelds by the Sea music: Jamaica reggae (Sunny Dreamers) by u_98673jp944 via Pixabay pixabay.com/music/reggae-jamaic…ny-dreamers-327065/ Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  February 1, 2026: Severe Frost Alerts, Disinfomation Consequences, and Rail Baltic Realities 02.02.2026 1h 21m

  This week, Joe is joined by the one and only Anete Germane from the Irregular Latvian YouTube channel to discuss the ongoing cold snap in Latvia which has led to phones buzzing with emergency alerts for three nights in a row along with other topics such as the increasing public admissions by officials that Rali Baltic will be nowhere near on time, more trouble for Ogre mayor Egils Helmanis, Wikipedia edit wars, the Supernova song competition, and more! Photo Credit: Joe Horgan Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission International Outlook music: Background News by MiroMaxMusic via Pixabay pixabay.com/music/upbeat-background-news-438895/ Akenfelds by the Sea music: Jamaica reggae (Sunny Dreamers) by u_98673jp944 via Pixabay pixabay.com/music/reggae-jamaic…ny-dreamers-327065/ Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  January 23rd, 2024: A Little Peace, a Lot of Transportation Headaches, and Winter's Continuous Chill 23.01.2026 42m

  Joe breaks down major stories of the week including Speaker of Saeima Dace Mieriņa's surprise support for Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize campaign, a reality check for Rail Baltic, expensive renovations for Vanšu tilts, winters continued bite, and much more! Photo: Ieva Ābele, Saeima Izmantošanas noteikumi: saeima.lv/lv/autortiesibas Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/42130586@N02/53376328817/ Theme song "Mēs esam ārzemnieki" by Aarzemnieki, used with permission International Outlook music: Background News by MiroMaxMusic via Pixabay pixabay.com/music/upbeat-background-news-438895/ Akenfelds by the Sea music: Jamaica reggae (Sunny Dreamers) by u_98673jp944 via Pixabay pixabay.com/music/reggae-jamaic…ny-dreamers-327065/ Closing theme song: Think Tank by Audionautix audionautix.com​ Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/_think-tank​ Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/mbV9t1Z0rA8
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  January 9th, 2026: Translating "Coolcation," New US Ambassador, More Blizzards, and a New Ammunition Factory Underway 10.01.2026 42m

  Kris Akenfelds comes to Rīga to join Joe for a discussion on Kurzeme's attempt at becoming a (not so) hot tourist destination, the continued wintry weather, the prosecution of individuals allegedly (illegally) assisting Moscow's nefarious ambitions, a new munitions factory, and an attempt to reduce bureaucracy. Cian again covers major international stories.