Latvian Political Monitor

Day No. 72 in the prime minister's chair (Monday) — 🇷🇺 NO to grain; STOP to migration 🌾 NO TO RUSSIAN GRAIN The government is unanimous and determined — we will use all available tools to stop the flow of Russian grain through Latvia. ➖️ We will repeatedly increase tariffs/rail infrastructure fees for 🇷🇺 grain transport. They must be high enough to significantly cool the desire to bring Russian grain through Latvia. (our actions are limited by the need for coordination with the EU) ➖️ We are closely coordinating with 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇪🇪 Estonia and 🇺🇦 Ukraine to make it effective ➖️ Today I am in contact with the Baltic prime ministers to reach a unified position. ➖️ This is a joint government decision. Tomorrow we will move the matter to the Cabinet of Ministers. ➖️ We expect experts from 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 🇬🇧 the UK soon to jointly begin inspections of grain cargoes. Stolen grain from Ukraine will not pass through our ports! Specific tasks for ministries: 🚛 Ministry of Transport — prepare the relevant government decision and assess the possibility of reducing domestic freight tariffs for Latvian farmers during harvest. 🌾 Ministry of Agriculture — ensure grain inspections. 🌍 Ministry of Foreign Affairs — reach a unified Baltic position on this matter. 👮 Ministry of the Interior — if stolen Ukrainian grain is found, services must act immediately - action plan. ⚓ For Kozlovskis and Augulis — ensure that Latvian ports give priority to accepting 🇱🇻 Latvian grain. 🏥 HOSPITAL NETWORK REFORM We discussed this issue repeatedly in government. ➖️ The government has already made its decision. ZZS's demand to change it is not supportable. ➖️ We will discuss specific implementation details of the reform separately. ➖️ The matter was considered in a long and detailed meeting. A break was taken, an agreement was reached — at that time it was symbolically confirmed by the joint selfie of Valainis and Hosams. ➖️ The harsh State Audit Office report on the hospital network was available to all and served as one of the bases for the Cabinet's decision. ➖️ This reform is one of the priority works the health minister has done. 🎓 EDUCATION — CHANGES MUST BE THOUGHTFUL If asked about education reforms — my position is clear: there will be no rushed changes. ➖️ This week we will consider the matter in the Cabinet of Ministers. ➖️ Rules must be clear for students, parents, and teachers alike. ➖️ Indriksone has prepared the work and done her homework, but we must reach a compromise that suits teachers, students, and schools. ➖️ I will definitely include this work in her TOP 3 list of accomplishments if all coalition partners agree ➖️ Children must be given the opportunity to correct grades. We can all make mistakes, and everyone should have a chance to correct their error. 🧪 Science exam — I support it. Latvia needs many more specialists and workers in these sectors. From the next school year we support its introduction. ➖️ Reforms are needed, but they cannot be introduced at the beginning of the school year just because elections are approaching. ➖️ The assessment system also needs improvement, but it must be done thoughtfully and in a timely manner. 🛑 MIGRATION My position — much stricter order is needed on migration. ➖️ The report is planned to be considered by the government on 22 September. ➖️ The Ministry of the Interior must do its homework this week so the document can be properly considered by the government. 🙏 NEPAL DISASTER At the end of the day — a prayer service at Riga Cathedral for the Latvian residents affected by the Nepal disaster. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones. 🇱🇻🙏

@hansa_lv Yes, even when the guy from CSDD was running two hospitals at the same time…

Terrible set for a hospital - plumbing and medications…

This smells really bad. How did the lady leave RS with clean papers? It was clear they would all be thrown out, because the RS council wasn't doing its job. She left on her own, clean CV, and the next council was already waiting to loaf around for perks. And they tell us simpletons that 2x2=5🙃 well, we'll see… https://t.co/tpAPsIfW2D

@realNepareizais That's nice, but the budget doesn't have that option. Unless you cut, for example, health, education, or pensions.

That's true, yes. From my taxes I have received practically only education services in my life. For myself and children. Not free, but still significant. I haven't seen free healthcare (but ears in the mirror though). In my time there was a plus - I also got very good education, now they only print diplomas🤡

@citskovskisj I hadn't heard before, Jāni, that, for example, mass alcoholism can be called capitalism and that one lives longer from it.

I'll illustrate with the same health issue. We are one of the poorest EU countries. From our small GDP we collect about 34.9% in taxes, which is also a lower percentage than the EU average. Put both together - the total tax money is relatively low, of course. But. That medical equipment costs the same as elsewhere. Salaries? Top doctors earn well, otherwise they'll leave. Nurses - well, they'll also leave with a certain difference, and many do leave. The cost of the service here is cheaper than in rich countries, but not so cheap that we could finance much from the meager tax sum. In any sphere. Education, health included. And the recently added +3% for defense actually empties the room. In the Baltics, 7% of GDP is spent on health, the EU average is 10%. That difference is those 3%. With a poor country, such are the the benefits, the state-paid services. Poor. Want richer and better? It simply won come from public money. This is not about imagined notions of fairness or offense, but about means.

Practically everyone expects the government to save everyone. That it is even capable of doing so. That's why we must cry as loudly as possible. Surely they'll give money. Every day I see delegations of criers. But there is an objective thing. There really is no money anymore. And there won't be, as before and until now, when they gave. Because there simply is no money anymore. Everything is allocated and spent. For example, today I sat in a meeting where they cried and gave speeches. That if they don't give more, then we'll shut down health care. Then let survival laws win! Trade union and other representatives at Brīvības 72 held a meeting. Heartbreaking speeches. When the speeches ended, Hosams said that that's why we are here, to solve. I said this - if we continue to cry, then survival laws will really win. The criers will leave first. Next year they need 729 million for the health sector, taking it away from others! Yes, they probably meant to liquidate the education sector. That's the 'other'. There's a billion and 200 million a year. Schools, sports, liquidate everything. I listened to the speeches, turned on the calculator, divided 700 million by the number of workers. And I offered. Each crier at the table (they have normal to very good salaries) - we pull from our own pockets and pool into policies. About 80 euros a month. And in general the only solution is to finance the shortfall ourselves, because state reserves are exhausted. Completely now. The tax base has long been overspent, we have to borrow. After my remark I was forced to leave the criers, because I had to go to another meeting, where they discussed something more important - the funeral date. There the money has also run out, the coma apparatus is working. As a society we want 2 things. Low taxes and state-paid services as in paradise. Well, socialism doesn't work, it doesn't. But only a few seem to understand that anyway. In vain have I been telling this here for years.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEPAL TRAGEDY. Current as of 1.09. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee has departed to Nepal to carry out coordination work on site to help the families and relatives of the 33 missing 🇱🇻 citizens (earlier information of 43 has been clarified). Yesterday @Braze_Baiba spoke with the Nepalese minister, full support for 🇱🇻, everything needed. From China there is silence for now after the note was sent and the announced call, but today more information may be available. 30 closest blood relatives have provided DNA samples to the State Police, which are being digitally provided to Nepalese rescue services. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened a coordination meeting on 31.08 for state and municipal institutions, defining the range of issues where state and municipal support, involvement, and assistance will be needed if those missing in Nepal are not found, for their relatives: childcare, social assistance, education, health care, and other areas. Representatives of responsible state and municipal institutions will soon prepare useful practical information, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will then pass to the relatives of the missing, inviting them to contact the relevant institutions. The MFA met by VTC with Israeli experts on victim identification and issues. The MFA met with NGO representatives ready to provide support.

It is always a pleasure to meet people who, working in complex sectors, implement significant projects. Ivars Eglītis with the Kuldīga doctoral project takes a big step forward in the development of private healthcare in the region. https://t.co/byYFpAEd1D

This storm was a painful dress rehearsal for Latvia's and every person's readiness to overcome crisis situations. Thank you to firefighters, medics, police officers, electricity network crews, municipal workers, volunteers and everyone who is still working to help people and restore critical services. The storm showed an unpleasant truth: if electricity disappears over a wide area, many other critical everyday services also start to stop. Many of us were affected not only by the lack of electricity. Mobile communications and internet were disrupted, fuel stations, shops, ATMs, payment terminals and traffic lights did not work. Traffic and train movement were disrupted. In places, water supply and sewerage operations were endangered. Even operational services in some places had difficulty refueling their vehicles. The storm also revealed a problem with cash circulation. Without electricity and internet, card payments may not be possible, and ATMs do not work. Under these circumstances, cash becomes a critically important reserve means of payment. There must be a clear action plan by the state, banks and merchants on how to ensure the availability and circulation of cash during a crisis. People reported that in some shops, bread and drinking water ran out within three to four hours. We need to assess whether shops and logistics networks are ready for a rapid increase in demand and can ensure the supply of essential goods also when electricity, communications and electronic payments do not work. Equally important is the operation of pharmacies and the availability of medicines. What happens if a pharmacy has no electricity, internet or access to e-prescriptions? Where can a person get life-saving medicines? How is the public informed about working pharmacies? There must also be a clear crisis algorithm here, not improvisation after the event. Unfortunately, today I did not find a unified, comprehensible and regularly updated overview of the situation. People had to search for information themselves on the websites and social media accounts of various institutions, companies and municipalities. But during a crisis, a person must be able to get answers to very specific questions in one place: ❓ Where is there no electricity? ❓ Where are mobile communications and internet not working? ❓ Which roads are closed and where is public transport disrupted? ❓ Where is water supply and sewerage endangered? ❓ Which shops, fuel stations and pharmacies are operating? ❓ What exactly is being done? ❓ In what order are damages expected to be repaired and services restored? Such information must be unified, verified and regularly updated. At the same time, there should be a backup information solution for situations when people have no electricity, internet or mobile communications. Once the acute crisis phase has been overcome, I expect a comprehensive assessment from the Crisis Management Center on how the state overcame this crisis, what worked, what did not and what urgently needs to be improved. The assessment must conclude with a concrete action plan, specifying those responsible, deadlines and necessary investments. But responsibility is not only on the state. Also every Latvian household must critically assess whether we seriously took the previously distributed warnings and whether we can cope for at least 72 hours without electricity, internet, shop, ATM and immediate operational services help. Do we have drinking water, food, necessary medicines, a flashlight, batteries, a charged external battery, a radio and cash at home? Does the family have a comprehensible action plan? Do we know how we will help children, seniors, neighbours and people with special needs? This time it was a storm about which we received advance warnings. The next crisis may start without such warning. I am currently in Ukraine, where they have to deal with an identical situation every day. Yesterday I saw with my own eyes how crisis coordination systems are integrated into a military command center, where you can see every service online - VUGD, police, medicine, gas, municipal services, rescuers... all. I will bring this system to Latvia.

Day No. 59 in the prime minister's seat — security, difficult legacies and decisions that can no longer be postponed

Using EU Recovery Fund financing, the Children's Hospital has modernized operating rooms, established a Neuropsychological Development Center and a Simulation Training Center space. Money well invested. Significant for each of us who has ever visited this hospital with their child https://t.co/Bxf8DnfOBX

Day No. 57 in the prime minister's chair (Thursday) – Sēlija training ground; anti-drone explosives; Recipe+; Olpha pharmaceutical plant. I have fallen behind on daily reports – here will be from Thursday. 🎖️ 🛰️ Sēlija training ground and armed forces procurement. I visited the Sēlija training ground together with Defence Minister R. Melnis. One of the conclusions after talking with the National Armed Forces and the minister – the old-style procurement procedures no longer work for the Armed Forces. We need to understand what military capability the customer wants to achieve – competition for equipment no longer works, but competition for capabilities does. We need to shift from purchasing to “subscription”. Technology is changing faster than ever, and our thinking must change along with it. There is also the question of the State Audit Office. The Armed Forces @Latvijas_armija fear that the State Audit Office could turn against them if the “wrong” drones were purchased. This needs to be resolved so decisions aren't stalled out of fear. ⚙️ The main challenge – how to integrate hundreds of new offensive and defensive technologies into a single command system. This is one of the most complex issues to solve around the world. NATO, together with manufacturers, is working on such a system that would allow greater reliance on equipment and less on personnel. After visiting the Sēlija training ground, I discussed with the National Armed Forces the situation where drones were purchased without warheads. It is absurd to think that the National Armed Forces will themselves fit the drones with explosives. That is not the Armed Forces' task. I changed clothes in the forest on the way :) and went straight from the training ground to the topping-out ceremony for Recipe Plus' new logistics centre. 💊 Recipe Plus logistics centre. I am always ready to be present when Latvian companies develop and invest private capital (+€20m). This is not an ordinary logistics centre. It will be a unique, automated solution. Availability of medicines is critically important even in crisis situations, and such a warehouse is essential for that. It is Latvian companies that will ensure our access to medicines in such situations – production, distribution, storage under any crisis conditions. Such a modern, automated logistics centre has not yet been built in our region. 🧪 Olpha plant. I also visited the Olpha plant. We have enormous potential in producing chemical raw materials for medicines. Currently EU, US and world drug manufacturers have become dependent on India's monopoly on pharmaceutical raw materials, and in many places in Europe this infrastructure has disappeared. In Latvia we have the resources and knowledge to expand both exports and production in this global niche. We need to work on universities training ever more specialists for this sector and strengthening our position in Europe and the world.

I do not deny the importance of such a question, I fully respect such a desire, because the public needs to know. I just feel strange that in the program no questions are asked at all about the priorities of the whole society: No.1 HEALTH, No.2 COST OF LIVING, No.3 ECONOMY, No.4 SECURITY, No.5 EDUCATION, and above all about the budget, deficit, and aligning revenues with expenditures. The first and only question was asked about the Istanbul Convention. Thank you for inviting me as the first, and good luck with the next prime minister candidates.

Day No. 55 in the Prime Minister's seat. A dense day with real work in combating illegal immigration, controlling ministers' work, and evaluating the AirBaltic Strategic Plan. 🐺OPERATION 'VILKATIS' - In the morning, at a press conference we introduced the media to a new operation for the security of Latvia's eastern border. After five years of fighting illegal migrants, we are turning against the causes, not the consequences - using human resources and equipment more effectively. The Cabinet of Ministers today decided to establish a special working group, coordinating actions with Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and other countries in the region. If specific measures take place in a particular area, residents will be informed. Thanks for cooperation to the Interior and Defense ministers. We prove once again that only by working as a strong team can we achieve a result. Why the name 'VILKATIS'? Because it's Latvian and with strength. Strange interview @letanewslv - the questioning of PM candidates 'WHAT WAS THAT AT ALL?' - I want to ask what that really was??? It's good that politicians are made to report, but somehow there was totally a lack of even one question about the future, about what I plan to do... I still don't understand what they wanted to tell the viewer. https://t.co/kKbJUSOE97 📋 MINISTERS TOP3 WORKS PROGRESS - At the action discussion we reviewed the implementation of priority works. 7 priority measures completed, 26 activity results - from cooperation with Ukraine in the defense sector to reducing medicine prices and a decision on hospital network reorganization. In September, 9 more are planned to be completed. We have left a lot to the last moment, BUT positively, the ministers approach it with responsibility. The most important task for the ministers is to complete ALL works before the elections. I told the ministers - I am available if support is needed. There is little time. We must focus on priorities. That's why there is no more time for populism and topics that are not Cabinet-level issues. If the approach doesn't change - in the future I will include only Declaration issues in Cabinet meetings, because this government's term of office is limited. ✈️ AIRBALTIC - In the closed part of the government meeting, we heard the Transport Ministry's report on AirBaltic. A good plan for me means five specific things: private partners provide new financing, the state maintains significant participation, Riga remains the main base, no new state financing is needed, and a strategic investor is attracted. If these five conditions are met - that is a plan the market also believes in, not just one that looks good on paper. Is that how it is now? In any case, the company must be put back on 'solid feet'. The current problems are the result of ill-considered decisions made in previous years. After that followed many different questions that we discussed in both the open and closed parts of the meeting. I will share some of them. 🙋 NOT ALLOW VOLUNTEER WORK AT BUSINESSES? - We discussed such a proposal. In my opinion, absurd!!!! Young people want practice, are ready to work without remuneration - that's exactly how they gain experience. With such a regulation we exclude the possibility to do so, for example, helping to organize concerts, festivals or sports events, etc. Currently there is no generally regulated form of how a young person can gain experience in a company without an employment contract. But should volunteer work be banned altogether because of that? All that needs to be done to remove shadow economy risks is for SRS to develop a solution. 📜 PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANIZATION LAW - This made me smile. One organization demands paid membership in a commission, the establishment of which is determined by the Saeima. The purpose of the law - to reduce the bureaucratic burden, simplifying the approval of commissions. FULLY SUPPORT. But SRS already has its own control mechanism. It is clear that SRS can decide independently. Also without a commission. 💻DIGITAL GOVERNANCE - In the government, together with Edgars Tavars and VARAM we continued improving Digital Services. We agreed in the Cabinet of Ministers on the European digital identity 'wallet' (EDIM) - a voluntary tool that will not fully replace identity documents, but will include e-address functionality. 🏗️We approved VARAM's initiative in procurement, the possibility to use ready-made, market-available solutions. This will allow trying out the rarely used 'design dialogue' procurement form. ⚠️'SILENE' AND 'VIENTUĻI' equipping feasibility - We heard Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis. The project is good, but I am concerned about the ICT costs that add up. The task - SM together with FM, IeM and VARAM to evaluate the costs.

Day No. 54 in the prime minister's seat – immigration law, hospital reform, energy, and again the old unresolved issues. Today the day started early with a security meeting on the illegal immigration counteraction plan – we will inform the public tomorrow. It is a very good plan and it will be put into effect immediately. But in parallel, several serious issues are on the government's agenda. 🛂 IMMIGRATION LAW / TUA FOR INVESTORS The President has returned to the Saeima for re-review the amendments to the Immigration Law on temporary residence permits for foreign investors. We must make a clear choice – whether we want to fill the state budget mainly with the help of foreign students working at Bolt/Wolt, or whether we are able to attract wealthy people who invest in Latvia, create companies, buy property and pay taxes. I have repeatedly stressed – 🇱🇻 the foundation of national security is a strong economy. For the economy to grow, we ourselves must be brave enough to make bold and competitive decisions. 🏠 The housing stock deficit exists in practically all regions of Latvia. For example, the Vidzeme hospital lacks qualified medical staff also because people who would be ready to work there simply have nowhere to live. My proposal provides: ➖️ an investor who wishes to receive a TUA in Latvia must provide a much greater economic contribution to the state; ➖️ increase the direct payment to the state budget to €50,000 over five years; ➖️ at the same time, ensure real investments in Latvia's economy; ➖️ in the next step, create an opportunity for these people to become Latvian tax residents, paying a fixed €60,000 tax per year – a kind of Latvian tax “subscription”. 📊 If we could attract 1,000 investors this way: ➡️ €50 million directly to the state budget; ➡️ more than €100 million in investments in Latvia's economy; ➡️ in the case of tax residence, up to another €300 million over five years. Total potential contribution – around half a billion euros in five years. That is a completely different scale. 👶 WORKING PARENTS' BENEFIT In the coalition we agreed on amendments to the Maternity and Sickness Insurance Law (initiated by @Jauna_Vienotiba): ➖️ extend the current arrangement regarding the working parents' benefit; ➖️ give new parents a clear signal that support will also be available in the future; ➖️ the Ministry of Finance is tasked with assessing the financial impact of the decision. 🎓 EDUCATION LAW We agree that the assessment system for learning outcomes must be improved. But trying to introduce significant changes by September 1 – that is simply not realistic. We agreed to convene a separate meeting this week that will be entirely devoted to this issue. ⚡ ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE A new government thematic committee on energy, environment and climate issues will be created, with KEM taking overall supervision. There are many questions and unresolved problems here, so much closer coordination between ministries is needed. 🌬️ K2 VENTUM WIND PARK PROJECT IN PĀVILOSTA Again we are faced with decisions taken, or more precisely not taken and postponed, by previous governments. The situation is legally complicated, and wrong decisions can cost the state many millions of euros. ➖️ KEM must take responsibility for its decisions; ➖️ we asked the ministry to assess the issue much more broadly; ➖️ in a week I expect full information and an assessment of possible consequences. It is the responsibility of both officials and the minister to prevent the state from being drawn into extensive and expensive litigation. 🏥 ZZS OBJECTIONS TO THE HOSPITAL REFORM Here again we encountered a familiar situation. In the government, the hospital reform issue has been reviewed and a decision has been made. I also urge ZZS to familiarize themselves in detail with the real situation in hospitals, patient flows, staff availability and funding. Reform cannot be done only on paper, but it can likewise not be stopped just because change is politically unpopular. 🇱🇻 My principle remains unchanged – the state must be able to make decisions. Not to postpone them endlessly to the next government. KNAB has initiated a review of my visit to Zemgale and Liepāja - my answer: come and check. I honestly combined a work visit to Zemgale and Kurzeme to get to know the situation in agriculture and manufacturing, while also meeting residents as the AS prime ministerial candidate in the next elections. As prime minister, my work is 24/7 and there is no other way than to reach voters without combining it with work. If someone wants to nitpick, you are welcome, I will explain and show everything.