How great is Latvia’s success story?

The current state of Latvia can be best described in medical terms: the patient is pale, but alive. The fi nancial woes have been successfully resolved, but economic, social and political challenges remain. The crisis is continuing to affect the fabric of social and political life in Latvia. This paper looks at the economic, social and political consequences of the recent fi nancial crisis and the ensuing economic collapse in Latvia and suggests some remedial actions. Copyright ZBW and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014