Businessman Bergs: The West has grown too used to the luxury of peacetime

Normunds Bergs, chairman of the board of electronics and IT company SAF Tehnika, said on the TV24 programme "Preses klubs" that both Latvia and Western society as a whole have lived too long in peacetime conditions, creating a habit of postponing uncomfortable decisions. He argued that as international tensions rise and the threat of war becomes more real, gaps in preparedness are increasingly exposed.

Migration as a weapon

Bergs pointed to the 2015 migration wave, which he linked to Russian actions, as one of the clearest examples showing that Western societies were not fully ready — and remain only weakly prepared today. He noted that few European politicians or governments openly acknowledge migration as part of Russia's war against Europe, even though he considers it one of the tools used in that war.

Disinformation and provocations

The businessman said similar mechanisms are at work in disinformation, citing anti-vaccine movements and politicians who fuelled them. He stressed that sabotage, disinformation and provocation are tactics Russia has used since the Bolshevik era.

Budget priorities

Turning to domestic issues, Bergs addressed shortages of doctors and border guards, noting that state funding is not unlimited. He argued it is wrong for one sector to receive funding at another's expense simply by lobbying more loudly. He called on the government and politicians to set clear priorities and use existing funds more efficiently, adding that Latvia's overall budget is not small compared with many other countries.