CORPORATE
Opinion
Opinion
CORPORATE
Lithuania’s coast beats emigration exodus
The exodus of Lithuania’s population has slowed down a little over the last few years, but a glint of hope may come from where few people expected – the seaside. […]
Opinion
CORPORATE
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Energy
What’s next for Europe’s natural gas market?
On February 16, the European Commission published its long awaited “winter package”, a series of legislative documents partly outlining the foundation of the often debated Energy Union. For those who have lost track, at the heart of the Energy Union lie concerns about single-source dependence on natural gas from Russia. […]
Opinion
Russia’s new election tactics: Why the Kremlin no longer needs ballot-stuffing
Numerous clever tricks and a slew of political parties loyal to Russia’s government now ensure the “right” election result long before any votes are cast. And this means that the election count can be shown to be fair, and at the same time managed by individuals who are widely trusted and respected. […]
CORPORATE
‘There is no institution like the Vatican in Islam that can excommunicate extremist Muslims’
There were some 13 million Muslims living in Europe several years ago, according to Pew Research Center, and several more million have come from Syria and Iraq over the last few years. Professor Egdūnas Račius of the Kaunas-based Vytautas Magnus University says that religion is not always the right lens through which to look at and make sense of the world’s Muslims. […]
Opinion
CORPORATE
Perceptions of terrorism: Number of deaths from attacks in Europe has plummeted
With the wave of recent terrorist attacks in Europe there is a perception that the threat from terrorism on the continent is higher than ever, but the statistics show that the number of deaths from terrorist attacks in Europe is far lower now than in previous decades. […]
CORPORATE
Five taxing questions on Lithuania’s proposed VAT cuts
With about six months left to the next general election, cutting taxes is all the rage in the Lithuanian parliament. MPs have submitted several bills suggesting cutting value-added tax (VAT). Some proposals have been discussed more extensively than others, but there is still no clear agreement on a number of points concerning the cuts. […]
CORPORATE
Lithuania facing a demographic day of reckoning
Over the last 25 years, the population of Lithuania has fallen from 3.7 million to 2.9 million, shrinking by over 1% annually. While predictions of the eventual extinction of the Lithuanian people are premature, the trends are a real cause for concern and will present huge challenges for the country over the coming half-century. […]
Opinion
The European Union is not a security union
In the wake of any shocking event, national governments and officials of the European Union invariably call for more cooperation between member states to prevent anything similar happening in the future. The response to the March 22 terrorist attacks in Brussels has been no different. […]
CORPORATE
Was there an artistic underground in Soviet Lithuania?
How much space did non-conformist art and artists enjoy in a society where they were inevitably included into the Soviet state machinery? The question was raised in a recent discussion by artists, historians and art critics who research art and artistic production during the Soviet period. […]
Opinion
The ulterior motive behind Russia’s partial Syria withdrawal
With great fanfare and “surprise” Russia once again seemingly out-maneuvered Western leadership in Syria. While much ink has been spilled debating whether President Vladimir Putin is executing a sound strategy—or is merely a tactical opportunist—it is clear that he has achieved his primary strategic goal: making Russia geopolitically relevant again and forcing the West to begrudgingly accept that it must take into account Russian interests. But there is an ulterior motive to Putin’s partial withdrawal. […]
Opinion
Spinning Russia’s Syria exit
Russian television has thrived for months on a diet of victories in Syria. Now that the time has come to spin the news of a withdrawal, the argument is being deployed that it is best to avoid a second Afghanistan. Better still, the exit is being presented as another case of Russia outsmarting the United States. […]
CORPORATE
Opinion
One year on: How to prevent repeat of “German wings” disaster?
The human factor has been for several decades the weakest link in the security of aviation, from the 1950s incidents and accident statistics related to human factors are almost unchanged, accounting for 70-80% of all aviation incidents. […]