Czech president say communist past helped Latvia stomach crisis measures

Czech President Václav Klaus drew a distinction between the way Latvia and Greece have handled their deep economic problems on a visit to the Baltic state on Thursday. While Greece faces ongoing public protests against a tough austerity programme aimed at curing its public debt, Latvia has pushed through similar measures with little reaction. The Czech head of state said the difference was that Latvia had experienced Communism. The country appreciated the advances made in the last 20 years and saw the current sacrifices as a step that had to be taken to consolidate them and then progress, he said. Latvia has been one of the worst hit EU countries with the economy shrinking 18 percent last year and unemployment climbing beyond 20 percent