The Baltic Course reports that from March public bus tickets (if pre-purchased) will rise to 2 litas per bus journey (if your journey involves more than 1 bus, you pay it for each bus). Only in December 2008 the cost had increased from 1.10 LT to 1.80 LT, after several years at that level. Shocking or what?
Meanwhile the same paper tells us that the government is now looking at establishing a new airline, in place of flyLAL which went bankrupt in January, with the state holding a share in it. At the moment the situation is rather chronic, with folk having to hop via all sorts of places to get to major capitals. I hope they get it up, soon - as long as the state does not take too much of a financial hit. Does not look like we could afford that!
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Rampant inflation!
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Landsbergis for President??
Story in Lietuvos Rytas today about some idea that Vytautas Landsbergis (76) should run for president at the next election later this year. I don't think so!
He was a hero in 1990/1991 when he led Lithuania to freedom, but now he seems like a frail old man, who has in the past had some serious health problems.
Time to let the young ones at the job.
He was a hero in 1990/1991 when he led Lithuania to freedom, but now he seems like a frail old man, who has in the past had some serious health problems.
Time to let the young ones at the job.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Imbrasas is out!
The Vilnius city Mayor, Juozas Imbrasas, who I never cared for that much, has finally been voted out, in a vote of no confidence, it says here. Thank goodness for that. He was kind of unknown before he became mayor and people saw him as Rolandas Paksas' puppet (Paksas was the president who was impeached a few years ago). The vote of no confidence was based on the suggestion that Imbrasas managed the city in the interests of his political party.
But, in true old Soviet fashion, he is going to appeal to the courts over this; meanwhile it seems he has no intention of vacating his seat. Not sure what the courts have to do with a democratic process.....
But, in true old Soviet fashion, he is going to appeal to the courts over this; meanwhile it seems he has no intention of vacating his seat. Not sure what the courts have to do with a democratic process.....
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Georgian Prime Minister Resigns
it says here, on health grounds, after 3 months in the job. He seems to have a kidney condition which requires intensive treatment. Poor soul.
He was Saakashvili's fourth prime minister; the previous one had lasted for about 9 months.
Saakashvili is under pressure from the opposition to resign, over the war last August. Finally it is becoming clear to the Georgian population what happened there. But will he resign? Will he heck!
He was Saakashvili's fourth prime minister; the previous one had lasted for about 9 months.
Saakashvili is under pressure from the opposition to resign, over the war last August. Finally it is becoming clear to the Georgian population what happened there. But will he resign? Will he heck!
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Air Baltic laying off staff
Here it says that Air Baltic is now laying off 112 staff in Vilnius. That's scary, very very scary.
You would have thought that with one major competitor out of the way (flyLAL), they would have had more business. In fact I've recently noticed that they cut the direct flight to Berlin; now I have to fly via Riga. To fly to Cologne next month I need to do a three-hop trip, changing airline in the middle, whereas before they had nice links via the SAS system.
If they were to go out of business, too, then we we would be almost cut off here, and totally dependent on western airlines.
You would have thought that with one major competitor out of the way (flyLAL), they would have had more business. In fact I've recently noticed that they cut the direct flight to Berlin; now I have to fly via Riga. To fly to Cologne next month I need to do a three-hop trip, changing airline in the middle, whereas before they had nice links via the SAS system.
If they were to go out of business, too, then we we would be almost cut off here, and totally dependent on western airlines.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Corrections - oops
1) Seems the Tbilisi premier did not go to hospital because he was punched on the nose by the President, but because he has a kidney condition. Went to Germany, then back to Tbilisi into hospital, now he's going back to Germany to check up on the Tbilisi treatment. And he's only 35! I bet he wishes he were still ambassador to Turkey where the healthcare is probably better.
2) Mr Kubilius, Lithuanian premier, did not resign over the riots and his handling of the economic crisis. Bizarre. I am sure I read a resignation speech in the paper - was it a spoof? Someone said he'll never resign, he's 'always right'.
2) Mr Kubilius, Lithuanian premier, did not resign over the riots and his handling of the economic crisis. Bizarre. I am sure I read a resignation speech in the paper - was it a spoof? Someone said he'll never resign, he's 'always right'.
3) It seems that Lithuanian airways, or flyLAL, was not sold after all to the Swiss investors; the sale fell through at the last moment, and then the creditors pulled the plug. Hence the closure.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Riots and change in Vilnius
Not only were there riots in Vilnius yesterday - not so that I would have noticed, living only 10 minutes from the parliament, but now also Lithuanian airlines, flyLAL has been grounded at the request of its creditors.
The New York Times reports that tear gas and rubber bullets were used - this seems to be right enough; here's
a video, from the Lietuvos Rytas website, of the events and it shows a chap with a rubber bullet in his
leg, as well as the teargas being used. The rioters were younger ones;
as I had mentioned before, most of the demonstrators were older people
- but there is also a flash of an old lady being manhandled. There was certainly no sign of people running around the streets in panic or anything else near where I live, so it must have been very confined. A psychotherapist I know has her offices right next to the parliament; that must have made for some happy sessions.
It seems to have led to the resignation of the prime minister, Mr Kubilius, if I understand this article right. He tells us, now, after rushing through a stringent economic emergency package hated by everyone, that he is not an economic expert (he was in office for about 3 months)....I never had that high an opinion of him, though I know people who do. Perhaps some other country governments, using tear gas and rubber bullets against their own people, could take a leaf out of his book.
Meantime, the courts have grounded Lithuanian airlines, or flyLAL. It has huge debts; there had already been danger of it not being allowed to fly to Riga over non-payment of debts (debt has since been paid); in September or so it offered itself to the state to be nationalised, at the cost of 1 Litas (about 30 Eurocents), at the beginning of the year there was a danger that it might not be allowed to use Vilnius airport over non-payment of other debts, but this was sorted, somehow, then it was sold to a Swiss company, and now, in the middle of January, it's been grounded at the request of its creditors.
At the same time I am not totally convinced about airbaltic's performance; they did sort our my flight very nicely last November, when heavy snow caused problems, but I see they no longer have a direct flight from Vilnius to Berlin, and I'm not sure how well is the partnership with SAS, who are supposed to own it (I thought). Travelling to Cologne next month will mean quite a complicated three-hop journey for me.
The New York Times reports that tear gas and rubber bullets were used - this seems to be right enough; here's
a video, from the Lietuvos Rytas website, of the events and it shows a chap with a rubber bullet in his
leg, as well as the teargas being used. The rioters were younger ones;
as I had mentioned before, most of the demonstrators were older people
- but there is also a flash of an old lady being manhandled. There was certainly no sign of people running around the streets in panic or anything else near where I live, so it must have been very confined. A psychotherapist I know has her offices right next to the parliament; that must have made for some happy sessions.
It seems to have led to the resignation of the prime minister, Mr Kubilius, if I understand this article right. He tells us, now, after rushing through a stringent economic emergency package hated by everyone, that he is not an economic expert (he was in office for about 3 months)....I never had that high an opinion of him, though I know people who do. Perhaps some other country governments, using tear gas and rubber bullets against their own people, could take a leaf out of his book.
Meantime, the courts have grounded Lithuanian airlines, or flyLAL. It has huge debts; there had already been danger of it not being allowed to fly to Riga over non-payment of debts (debt has since been paid); in September or so it offered itself to the state to be nationalised, at the cost of 1 Litas (about 30 Eurocents), at the beginning of the year there was a danger that it might not be allowed to use Vilnius airport over non-payment of other debts, but this was sorted, somehow, then it was sold to a Swiss company, and now, in the middle of January, it's been grounded at the request of its creditors.
At the same time I am not totally convinced about airbaltic's performance; they did sort our my flight very nicely last November, when heavy snow caused problems, but I see they no longer have a direct flight from Vilnius to Berlin, and I'm not sure how well is the partnership with SAS, who are supposed to own it (I thought). Travelling to Cologne next month will mean quite a complicated three-hop journey for me.
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