Stockpiling Governance in the Baltic States: An Institutionalist Perspective on Regional Security Development

• In Event: Contemporary Issues in Baltic Statecraft

Abstract

This study is an in-depth exploration of stockpiling governance in the Baltic States - Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania - from an institutionalist standpoint. It delves into various key dimensions, including the historical context, NATO and EU memberships, stockpiling essentials, resilience building, and collaboration with international allies, all of which collectively contribute to regional security development.
To assess whether stockpiling in the Baltic States complies with regional security goals, this study uses various methods, including case studies, document analysis, and comparisons.
Stockpiling essentials, which include fuel and supplies, are pivotal for enhancing resilience. These reserves significantly contribute to a nation's capacity to respond effectively to a range of crises and emergencies, ensuring the continuity of vital services, ability to endure and recover from disruptive events. During crises, such as natural disasters, conflicts, or pandemics, the availability of stockpiled essentials can be the determining factor between effective response and vulnerability. Fuel reserves are indispensable for transportation, energy production, maintenance of critical infrastructure, while stockpiled supplies, encompassing essential materials, medical equipment, food is vital for sustaining basic needs of the population. In this context, resilience signifies a nation’s adaptive capacity to recover from unforeseen events, underpinning stability, and security.
This study introduces an innovative perspective to literature within the domains of institutionalism and resilience. By adopting this novel approach and employing a multifaceted methodology, the study enriches comprehension and contributes a valuable dimension of how Baltic States' involved institutions implement stockpiling governance and its profound implications for the evolution of regional security.

Short Bio

Docent, Dr. Inese Abolina is a Researcher and Docent at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management and Economics. Her areas of expertise are Public administration, Policy making, Policy coordination, Political Leadership. Dr. Inese Abolina graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Latvia and holds a PhD in political science, public administration. She is seasoned policy making and coordination, as well as business development and public-sector relations professional with 25+ years of expertise and ability to work with different age groups starting from volunteering in an international youth organisation, international environment in European institutions, in national airline airBaltic, working closely with different policy makers and coordinators, business owners, Colonels and State Presidents. Dr. Inese Abolina has several scientific articles on presidential leadership, state and society relations, as well as digitalization and innovations of different policy fields. Dr. Inese Abolina has been a researcher at Darmstadt Technical University in Germany and visiting scholar at Baltic Defence College in Tartu and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. Dr. Inese Abolina with her extensive policy making and policy coordination experience is a Growth Director at the State limited public asset management company Possessor, which is responsible for stockpiling governance in Latvia.

Professor, Dr.habil.paed.Tatjana Koķe, is a Full Member and Head of the Senate at the Latvian Academy of Sciences. She is a member of Riga Stradins University (RSU) Council. Dr. Koķe served as the Provost at RSU from 2013 to 2023. She is a leading researcher at the Educational Growth Centre within RSU.
Dr. Koķe's served as the Minister of Education and Science for the Republic of Latvia from 2007 to 2010. Her dedication to education reached international levels, she was a Board Member of the European Adult Education Association from 2006 to 2008. Furthermore, she held the positions of Vice President and Council Member at the International Bureau of Education, UNESCO, from 2004 to 2008. She is an Editorial Board Member for the journal "Prospects," a quarterly review of comparative education published by Springer, under the auspices of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education. Her academic leadership is demonstrated by the successful supervision of twenty doctoral students who have earned their PhD degrees in Education under her guidance.
Dr. Koķe's scholarly contributions are extensive, encompassing over 100 publications. Her research areas of focus are Lifelong Learning, Leadership Development, Quality Assurance, Management, and Governance.

Authors

• Inese Abolina, University of Latvia

• Tatjana Koķe, Riga Stradiņš University