The university professor was detained in connection with the opinion that he had expressed during a debate about the development of the Latvian economy and the future of the banking and credit system of Latvia, which was published in Ventspils' local newspaper Ventas Balss. The Mayor of Ventspils Aivars Lembergs also participated in the discussion. "What happened is absurd. We wanted to find out an expert's opinion. He is competent and courageous, he has a degree, the knowledge and the experience," Imants Viksne of Ventas Balss commented on the detention of Smirnovs.
"What happened is absurd. We wanted to find out an expert's opinion. He is competent and courageous, he has a degree, the knowledge and the experience," Imants Viksne of Ventas Balss commented on the detention of Smirnovs.
That would be a red flag: did the Latvian government read the fine print before signing up for the EU? Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
