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Best Strategy Advisors, Riga (2026)

11/09/2026

More than 99% of adults in Sweden and the Netherlands have traveled abroad, according to the latest comparative international travel data analyzed by Pew Research Center. Overall, a median of 79% across the 24 countries surveyed say they have been to at least one other country. A median of 21% have not traveled outside their home country.

There are large differences by region, with Europeans especially likely to have been to a country other than their own: About two-thirds or more in every European nation surveyed have traveled outside their country. These places tend to be geographically smaller than countries we surveyed in other regions and close to a relatively large number of other countries. And people who live within the European Union have the right to free movement, which allows them to travel, work or live in other EU countries with few restrictions.

By contrast, roughly a third or fewer have traveled outside their home country in India, Indonesia and the Latin American and African nations we surveyed.

Why international travel is rare in India - only ~3% have traveled abroad❓👀

Does what was said above make sense?

06/05/2026

According to the Carnegie American Statecraft Program’s report on the “Future of American Power,” the US can effectively manage Chinese power through a “coexistence” strategy. This approach combines competitive economic and technological maneuvers with necessary cooperation. Key actions identified include:

- **Strengthening Domestic Manufacturing**: Focus on building a robust manufacturing base to secure supply chains.

- **Investing in Clean-Tech**: Counter Chinese dominance by fostering advancements in clean energy technology, which can also help build trust and reduce tensions.

- **Engaging in Diplomatic Thawing**: Maintain open lines of communication to prevent escalation and foster cooperation.

- **Working with Allies**: Collaborate with partners to limit critical technology transfers and strengthen alternative supply chains for essential minerals.

Further recommendations from Carnegie research highlight the importance of:

- **Building a “Clean Tech Détente”**: Secure supply chains while negotiating limited cooperation in clean energy to foster trust.

- **Leveraging Alliances for Tech & Finance Control**: Prevent sensitive technologies from reaching China and create high-quality infrastructure investments in developing nations.

- **Maintaining Strategic Stability and Dialogue**: Given the interdependent nature of economies, diplomatic and military communication is crucial to prevent escalation.

- **Coexistence over Confrontation**: Embrace a realistic coexistence approach, recognizing the power of both the U.S. and China while managing their relationship to avoid direct conflict.

- **Addressing Internal Economic Concerns**: Focus on enhancing domestic industrial capacity to reduce dependency on Chinese products, particularly in critical minerals…👇

https://carnegieendowment.org/programs/american-statecraft/collections/realistic-scenarios-for-coexistence-between-the-us-and-china

29/04/2026

Nearly 1.2 million people became citizens of an EU country in 2024 - the highest level seen in a decade - according to Eurostat.

EU citizenship grants increased by 12% compared with 2023 and are now 55% higher than in 2014 - 10 years ago. Most of these new citizens were granted nationality by Germany, Spain and Italy, which together accounted for more than 60% of all naturalisations across the EU last year.

The vast majority of recipients (88%) came from outside the EU, highlighting how migration continues to shape the demographic landscape of Europe.

Germany has been the top countries granting citizenship in the European Union for a mix of structural, demographic, and policy reasons - not because it’s simply “easier,” but because of how its system is designed and who lives there.

Germany has the biggest population in the EU and one of the largest foreign-born communities. Naturally, more people become eligible for citizenship over time. Long-term residents - from countries like Türkiye and Syria - eventually apply once they meet requirements.

Under German law, people can typically apply for citizenship after several years of legal residence. Since many migrants stay long-term, the pool of eligible applicants is large.

Germany has also been modernizing its citizenship rules. Key changes include allowing dual citizenship more broadly (previously restricted), reducing the required years of residence.

After the European migrant crisis, Germany accepted a large number of refugees. As these individuals settle, work, and integrate, many become eligible for naturalization - boosting overall numbers.

28/04/2026

The global population is projected to increase by approximately 1.4 billion people by 2050, with nearly all net growth occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, according to United Nations’ World Population Projections.

The ten fastest-growing countries are all located in this region, with notable growth rates:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: +83.4%
- Central African Republic: +92.6%
- Sudan: +64.9%

In contrast, several large advanced and Eastern European economies are expected to experience significant population declines, including:
- China: -11%
- Japan: -14.6%
- Italy: -12.3%
- South Korea: -12.6%
- Ukraine: -17.9%
- Latvia: -18.3%
- Bulgaria: -19.5%
- Lithuania: -20.2%
- Moldova: -21.5%

India continues to grow at +14.7%, solidifying its status as the world’s most populous country throughout the 2025-2050 period.

Are there are any reasons not to believe the projections?

Future

27/04/2026

In 2025, EU countries granted protection status to 361’325 asylum seekers, an 18% decrease compared with 2024. Most were from:
Afghanistan (27% of the total number granted protection status in the EU), Venezuela (16%), Syria and Ukraine (both 5%).

Among the 5 citizenships with the highest number of first instance decisions in 2025, the highest recognition rates (the share of all positive decisions among the total number of decisions) were for Venezuelans (92%), Afghans
(73%) and Turks (13%).

For final instance decisions following an appeal or review, Syrians (67%), Afghans (36%) and Iraqis (18%) had the highest recognition rates.

The relatively high number of Venezuelans receiving asylum or other forms of protection in the EU comes down to a mix of conditions in Venezuela and how European asylum systems classify those conditions.

Over the past decade, Venezuela has faced a combination of economic collapse, political repression, and humanitarian hardship, including hyperinflation and widespread poverty, shortages of food, medicine, and basic services.

In the EU, people don’t need to prove only classic political persecution (like being jailed for dissent). They can also qualify if returning home would expose them to inhuman or degrading treatment, serious harm due to generalized violence, and lack of access to essential survival needs

Many Venezuelan applicants are granted subsidiary protection rather than full refugee status, which still counts as a positive asylum decision.

Any thoughts on why Afghans are right at the very top of the ranking❓👇

14/04/2026

Great news - Finland’s transport network is set for a significant transformation this summer with the launch of a long-awaited cross-border train service. This new route will connect continental Europe directly to Finnish Lapland for the first time, as announced by Transport Minister Lulu Ranne. Passengers will now be able to travel overland from the heart of Europe to northern Finland, eliminating the need for flights or ferry transfers.

This service will also facilitate direct rail travel between Helsinki and Stockholm, enhancing the ease of Nordic exploration. The achievement marks a major milestone in infrastructure development after years of planning. Starting this summer, travelers can enjoy a new way to reach Finland by train through Sweden, catering to slow travel enthusiasts and digital nomads seeking unique experiences.

The newly restored station in Haparanda, Sweden, dating back to 1919, adds to the charm of this route. With the opening of this rail link, it will be possible to journey approximately 5’000 km by train from Portugal’s Algarve to Kolari in Lapland, Finland’s northernmost station.

Sampo Kangastalo, Development Director of Tornio, said Yle that he hopes for the grand opening of this route just before Midsummer in late June. A recent agreement between Finland and Sweden aims to complete the missing link that connects Finland to the European rail network, addressing a short distance between the twin border towns of Tornio and Haparanda, which has only been traversable by bus or car for decades.

The complexity of this link has its roots in Finland’s history as part of the Russian empire in the 19th century. Consequently, part of tthe Finnish track gauge remains at the old Russian standard of 1525 mm, while Sweden uses the standard European gauge of 1435 mm.

Mobility

13/04/2026

Rare earth elements (REEs)
- a group of 17 metals crucial for electronics, renewable energy, and defense - are actually found all over the world, but economically viable concentrations are much more limited.

China has by far largest reserves and is dominant producer - controls a major share of mining and processing, accounting for ~60–70% of global
production.

Even though rare earths are globally distributed, China dominates refining and separation, which is the most complex and environmentally challenging step. Many countries mine ores but send them to China for processing.

06/04/2026

Does money buy happiness? The world’s richest countries generate impressive income per person, yet some of the wealthiest nations fall surprisingly short in life satisfaction.

Liechtenstein leads the GDP (PPP) per capita ranking at over $206’000 per capita, followed by Singapore and Luxembourg. Other small, globally connected economies like Ireland and Macao SAR also dominate the top 10. Energy-rich nations such as Qatar and Brunei are near the top as well. The US ranks 11th at approximately $93’000 per person, with European countries making up a majority of the top 20.

However, being wealthy does not guarantee happiness. Finland tops the happiness rankings with a score of 7.7, closely followed by Denmark and Iceland. Nordics consistently excel in happiness, reflecting strong social safety nets, high trust in institutions, and broad access to public services.

Interestingly, Costa Rica and Mexico rank in the top 10 for happiness despite having much lower GDP per capita compared to many European nations. Conversely, ultra-wealthy countries like Singapore and Qatar do not make the top 20 for happiness.

Only a few countries rank highly in both wealth and happiness, including Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Ireland, and the Netherlands. This overlap is particularly pronounced in Northern Europe, where high productivity is paired with robust welfare systems, universal healthcare, and relatively low income inequality.

Does money really buy happiness? What do you think?

Happiness

02/04/2026

Although Europe actually produces excellent AI talent, a large portion migrates to Silicon Valley (US), Beijing / Shenzhen (China). Reasons include: higher salaries, better compute resources, access to large datasets, more ambitious research environments.

So the issue is less about creation of talent and more about retention.

The US and China invest heavily and tolerate risk:

- US: venture capital + defense funding (e.g., DARPA)
- China: strong state-led industrial policy

Europe tends to have more conservative funding mechanisms, heavier regulation, slower grant processes.

In addition, the EU has been a global leader in AI regulation (e.g., the AI Act), with pros and cons:

Pros: ethical leadership, consumer protection;

Cons: can slow experimentation, increases compliance burden for startups and researchers.

Cutting-edge AI increasingly depends on massive compute where

- the US corporates dominate cloud infrastructure (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud);

- China has strong domestic compute ecosystems.

Europe has fewer hyperscale cloud providers, which limits access to large GPU clusters and ability to train frontier models.

Europe still leans more toward public universities’ fundamental research, while the US and China have tighter loops between academia, startups and big tech.

28/03/2026

Most projections estimate that the world population will reach 10 billion around the year
2058–2060. This estimate mainly comes from the United Nations (UN) population projections, which are considered the global standard.

At the same tome, a popular misconception is that the global population is growing exponentially. But it’s not👇

While the global population is still increasing in absolute numbers, population growth peaked decades ago. In the chart below, we see the global population growth rate per year. This is based on historical UN’s estimates and its medium projection to 2100.

Global population growth peaked in the 1960s at over 2% per year. Since then, rates have more than halved, falling to less than 1%.

Population is still increasing, but at a declining rate due to: lower birth rates in many countries, increased access to education (especially for women), urbanization and changing lifestyles, aging populations in developed regions.

Best Strategy Advisors

11/09/2026

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