Some Comments on the Assessment of the Potential Role of Transit from China through the Baltic States

At present, with the opportunities of the previous model of world economic development exhausted, only countries building alternative models of global cooperation will have good economic prospects. In this conditions the new role of Russia, China is traced. This article examines the experience and prospects of cooperation between Beijing and the Baltic countries, including within the framework of the well-known project “One Belt — One Way”.

Comparison of intrinsic capacity factors in older individuals before and during COVID-19 in the context of healthy ageing in Baltic Countries

The COVID-19 in the context of healthy ageing is associated with decline in body functional abilities and serious illness in older individuals. Regular assessment of ageing processes, including intrinsic capacity factors, provides an opportunity for better understanding of the individual’s functional abilities and vulnerabilities. Based on the data (2017–2020) from two waves (7 and 8) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), an evaluation and comparison of the intrinsic capacity factors of older individuals (50+ years) before and during COVID-19 was conducted, including data from 4422 individuals in Baltic countries (from Latvia – 648, Lithuania – 1079 and Estonia – 2695). Excellent or very good health status before the outbreak reported 35.3% respondents in Latvia, 54.9% in Lithuania and 45.3% in Estonia (p < 0.001). On worsened health status since the outbreak reported 7% respondents in Latvia, 13.8% in Lithuania and 5.9% in Estonia (p < 0.001). Feeling of nervousness, depression and loneliness during COVID-19 outbreak increased among all respondents, regardless of nationality and severity of symptoms before outbreak (p < 0.001). The results indicate that during COVID-19 outbreak respondents were experiencing deterioration in cognitive and psychological health. To maintain the level of individual’s functional abilities during situations like COVID-19 outbreak preventive actions are needed by promoting physical activities and social networks, especially for older individuals.

Access to healthcare during COVID-19 among ageing population in Latvia

Medical staff has worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to test and treat coronavirus patients. However, the focus on the virus has caused huge disruption to healthcare services, resulting in delayed treatment for patients with other serious conditions. Additionally, the reasons for forgoing or abstaining healthcare could also relate to individual decisions. We used data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), where the respondents aged 50 and older of the Wave 8, version 0, were asked to answer, among other, questions on delayed, postponed or denied healthcare services during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. For comparative reasons also Estonian and Lithuanian data were included in the study with 2 473 627 valid weighted cases in total. Due to the large sample size, in order to evaluate statistically significant result for Pearson’s chi-square test, strength of association (f) was provided. The results show that 12.7% of the respondents forwent and 14% postponed medical treatment in Latvia. Appointment was denied to 5.5% of the respondents. Generally, older people in Latvia had better access to health care services compared to the average in the Baltic countries. We found significant age and gender differences, but they varied depending on the type of treatment and reason for not receiving it. However, further studies are necessary to analyse how limited access to the healthcare for other reasons has affected health of the ageing population. Also, more knowledge is needed about how to maintain public health and wellbeing for the growing part of the ageing society.

Assessment of the Reproductive Potential of Ethnic Groups in the Baltic States

In the post-Soviet period, attention is paid to the depopulation problem in the Baltic States, caused by the natural decline and migration outflow. At the same time, there is a change in the amount of certain ethnic groups in the population of these states. The purpose of the study is to assess the prospects for the reproductive potential of ethnic groups in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The study was carried out within ethnic demography, a scientific discipline that has developed at the intersection of demography, ethnography, and anthropology. The article presents the results of forecasting the number of major ethnic groups in the Baltic States for the long term (until 2061) using original methodological tools. In all three Baltic states, against the background of population decline, the share of titular ethnic groups is expected to grow – the highest in Latvia, the less significant in Estonia, and the minimum in Lithuania. The share of Russians (the most significant is in Latvia) and other ethnic groups will continue to decrease due to their low reproductive potential. In general, the tendency of the Baltic countries to move away from the complex ethnic structure of the population in the Soviet period towards mono-ethnicity will continue.

POSSIBLE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTION OF AMUSEMENT PARKS IN LATVIA

Amusement parks have grown rapidly in Latvia over the last 20 years. The development of Latvian amusement parks is determined by several factors related to the economic, political, geopolitical and international market situation. According to the CSB data, the country has a population of 1.9 million and a total of 14 amusement parks or companies providing attractions and entertainment. Part of the problem that the authors emphasize in the paper is that in Latvia, data on amusement parks are not collected separately, but are included in overall data on the tourism industry. This topic has been little studied in all Baltic countries. The topicality of the research relates to the future directions of sustainable development of Latvian amusement parks, which would add value to the growth of this industry. The aim of the research study is to determine the possible directions of development of amusement parks and their main influencing aspects, which determine the future development of these aspects.

Supreme audit institutions in Europe: synergies, institutional transparency, gender equality and sustainability engagement

PurposeSupreme audit institutions (SAIs) examine and supervise the activity of public institutions. The study aims at contributing to the existing literature on public sector audit by providing a classification of 29 European SAIs – 28 national SAIs and the European Court of Auditors (ECA) – based on a broad range of attributes varying from the SAIs' environment to its structure, activity, resources or transparency.Design/methodology/approachThe authors apply quantitative methodology for clustering by means of multidimensional scaling and regressive ordinary least square (OLS) and logistic models.FindingsThe authors' results show that SAIs from veteran EU member states (MSs) are more similar amongst them and the same applies to SAIs from Nordic countries, Baltic countries, Western Mediterranean countries and Eastern countries. The authors also perform additional analysis focussing on currently relevant issues such as gender equality, age, environment or the sustainable development goals (SDGs), concluding that the younger the institutions' staff, the more transparent the institutions are. The authors also find that more transparent SAIs report on environmental audits, more prone to cover the SDGs in their audits.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited in purpose and scope because data cover only Europe. Given the limited number of observations (29), it does not have prospective purposes but only explanatory ones. The authors' findings are interesting for researchers because they offer original insights on public audit in Europe and cover matters of current interest such as environment, transparency or gender equality.Practical implicationsThe research is also of interest for public auditors because it offers them information that may help them improve their activity and find institutional synergies, as the dataset is available to public auditors.Social implicationsFrom a social view point, the paper shows that public auditors perform work on topics of interest for the citizens.Originality/valueThe dataset compiled for the research offers extensive data and a wide variety of attributes defining European SAIs and may offer future opportunities for research from different perspectives.

Направления реализации стратегии национальной безопасности стран Балтийского региона

The article analyzes the strategy and principles of building the national security strat-egy of the Russian Federation, considers the priorities of ensuring national security. Security doc-trines are aimed at security in the military, political, and informational environment. The article highlights the priority tasks in the field of national defense of the Russian Federation. The review analyzes the integrated security strategies of the countries of the Baltic region – Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia; analyzes the effectiveness of the doctrine of “total defense” of Estonia, the procedure and forms of its implementation. It is stated that the Baltic countries are considering various options to improve security, the concept of “total defense”, is based on the protection of the position of neu-trality, the defense policy of the countries is based on cooperation with large European and regional countries (Finland, Sweden, Poland). The article states that the military security of countries is associated with the need to deepen cooperation with NATO. The doctrine of territorial defense of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, directions of defense policy and territorial security is analyzed.

Identity Politics and International Security of the Post-Soviet European States

In the article, identity politics is understood as an intentional policy towards forcing and maintaining a macro-political identity. The authors also refer to the traditional understanding of identity politics as a political course focused on protecting the rights of oppressed (deprived) minorities. The object of the research is the European countries of the post-Soviet space. The authors emphasize the dominance of the international (European) vector of political identity, based on the position declared in official speeches and confirmed in the media and history textbooks. The authors identify several stages that determine the algorithm of identity politics in the Baltic countries, the Ukraine and Belarus. They give examples of how in modern conditions the reference to value orientations actualizes the classical understanding of identity politics, at the same time exacerbating the confrontation between the countries that have chosen the European vector and those who hesitate or do not have such a chance.

The Baltic Countries

The three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) have a varied religious history. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, they were the last region of Europe to be Christianized. Today, they—and especially Estonia—are among the most secularized societies in the world. This is not only due to the Soviet past but also to Baltic German dominance at key moments in their history. While Lutheranism has dominated in the north (in Estonia and Latvia), the Roman Catholic Church is still the main religious player in the south (in Lithuania and parts of Latvia). Primarily due to Russian migration, the Orthodox Church also plays a significant role in Baltic affairs. There is, finally, a small but vibrant cluster of new religious movements, notably neo-pagan groups.