Ultranationalists fail to draw a crowd

Despite a widespread and diffuse feeling that Latvia "needs a strong hand", a rally by ultranationalists, including a group calling itself the heirs of Latvia's pre-war fascist Pērkonkrusts (Thunder Cross) movement, failed to gather more than 60 or 70 persons at a rally in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building.

The radical nationalists had hoped for at least 1000 people to gather to angrily protest the massive budget cuts that have left teachers on the minimum wage, public services gutted and many pensioners destitute. While there was simmering anger at a rally called by Latvian trade unions on June 18 to protest the same cuts. Fortunately for Latvian democracy (such as it is), the population is not ready to rally around populist authoritarian leaders -- yet.