Latvian Political Monitor

@poznaks In the city they also say that the Ukrainian prime minister was delighted by what he saw and his heart didn't bleed.

Day No. 81 in the prime minister's chair (TUESDAY, 22 Sept.) — sanctions, “RailBaltica” and work with the state wallet. The morning began with office coordination, documents and preparation for the Cabinet of Ministers meeting. Next — an economic action discussion, a call of Baltic prime ministers, a government meeting and a press conference. 🇪🇺 SANCTIONS — 🇱🇻 HELD OUT TO THE LAST Latvia was the only EU country out of 27 to object until the very last against the removal of Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list. In the end, the choice was not between good and bad. It was between bad and much more terrible — changing the status of two persons or the collapse of the entire sanctions regime. Latvia constructively abstained. As a result, sanctions against almost 3,000 supporters of Russia's war were extended for 36 months, not as before — every six months, meaning no one will be able to touch them for 3 years. Until now, they had to be re-confirmed every 6 months. At the same time, we immediately imposed Latvian national sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman. In Latvia, their funds and economic resources remain frozen. Thanks to @Arlietas, the diplomatic corps and Minister @Braze_Baiba for the work, as well as the President @edgarsrinkevics for coordinating 🇱🇻 position from NY. 🇫🇷🛡️ STRONGER SECURITY FOR LATVIA Through intensive negotiations with French President Emmanuel Macron, we reached an agreement to start talks on Latvia joining France's nuclear deterrence initiative. France has also pledged to strengthen its military presence in Latvia — especially in air defence. Security 🇱🇻 is concrete allied presence, capabilities and deterrence. 🚆 “RAILBALTICA” — BALTIC PRIME MINISTERS AGREE ON 2034 With the Lithuanian and Estonian prime ministers, we agreed on a common Baltic position and signed a 3x countries' declaration for the project's implementation. 2030 is not realistic, because RB would have to be implemented without EU funding because the new fund money is only available in 2029, and we have to finance security from the national budget. Therefore, all 3 Baltic countries agree on a realistic first-stage target — 2034. In the next EU financing period, the Baltic states will jointly ask the EU for predictable funding for the project's implementation, while on their side there is a commitment to review unnecessarily high technical requirements to reduce costs by several billion and speed up construction timelines. CUTTING THE COSTS OF THE STATE APPARATUS I signed an order to freeze the base salaries of officials also in 2027. It also applies to the prime minister, ministers and Saeima deputies. The Ministry of Finance has been tasked with preparing proposals to limit state spending — reviewing bonuses, service spending, long-standing vacancies and other expenses. Money will no longer be squandered in DECEMBER. It is also required to freeze all DECEMBER procurement. We in the state have a habit of unnecessarily spending the state budget in December with unnecessary expenses — it must be stopped so that the money stays in 2027. If we demand that the state save, we must start with ourselves. 🛂 CLEARER MIGRATION POLICY The government approved a 71-measure plan for stricter control of third-country nationals' entry, employment and studies. Some proposals still require amendments to laws, but the direction is clear — Latvia needs a migration policy that actually works. It was not a short day. But the prime minister's chair is not meant for comfort.

@dabrelis @apollo_lv @Motormuzejs Exactly... The Motor Museum contains a great deal of evidence of the consequences of the occupation and its history.

@AlksneR @dabrelis @ainarsgrieze @poznaks You really are narrow-minded, what VDK again.

🌼 6 days until the Saeima elections. The choice is in your hands. Don't let others decide in your place. Go and vote! #APVIENOTAISSARAKSTS #MumsIrRisinājums #KulbergsIrRisinājums #LatvijaMumsIrRisinājums #LatgolaMumsIrRysynuojums #7Saraksts #SaeimasVēlēšanas2026 https://t.co/ZDk8JOYnFv

@RitaEvaNa Very peculiar hallucinations. Hard to call it anything else. But well... everyone can think what they want.

Day No. 80 in the prime minister's chair (MONDAY, 21 Sept.) — restaurants, fuel prices and Latvia's NO to weakening sanctions 🇱🇻 Monday started with the restaurant sector and ended late in the evening with a fight in Brussels over sanctions. In between — ministers, the faction, the coalition and prime-minister candidate debates. It wasn't boring. 😏 🎂 First — happy birthday to President Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics)! Stamina and energy for the work for Latvia! 🍽️ RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS Hospitality is not a luxury. It is an export industry, jobs and Latvia's business card. We have been talking about a reduced VAT for nine years. Enough talking in circles. We need a concrete model with calculations and a decision deadline — once and for all, we must try and implement an agreement with the industry. In return from the industry — transparent turnover, official salaries and honestly paid taxes. ⛽️ FUEL PRICES In the coalition, we put three immediate solutions on the table that could reduce petrol and diesel prices by up to 20 cents per litre (the maximum possible under the allowed limits from the EU): ➖ excise tax down to the EU-allowed minimum (from the Finance Ministry); ➖ postponing the inclusion of reserve maintenance costs in the price (from the Economy Ministry); ➖ changes to biofuel blending requirements (from the Climate and Energy Ministry). Goal — a reduction from 1 October. Diesel is the lifeblood of Latvia's economy. We cannot wait. 67% of Latvia's car fleet runs on diesel. 📈 LTRK DEBATES Entrepreneurs want more investment, greater exports and less bureaucracy from the next government. I agree. Latvia will not become wealthier just by redistributing the existing money. We need to earn more. A strong economy means a strong state and strong defence. 🇪🇺 SANCTIONS In the evening Latvia did not support the compromise prepared by the Irish presidency. Extending sanctions for 36 months is the right step. But the price for it must not be the simple removal of Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list. Latvia said NO. I convened an emergency government meeting, and we continue working with Brussels and Paris to achieve a solution that corresponds to Latvia's security interests. For a prime minister, every day really is like a Monday. 🎙️

@pret_patvaribu @inesevoika That is exactly what Bodānovs personally thanked me for—that at last he could see something else. He had no idea that we have such history, such a museum, such a story, which also intertwines with Ukraine and exhibits with stories from there.

@Astridamains @aseradens That's right. In my opinion, the Ministry of Education and Science (IzM) is one of the most ineffective ministries out of the 14.

@ManTaisniba @inesevoika Yes, there was a time when Voika with “Delna” officially supposedly supervised the privatization of Latvian Shipping (supposedly, so that everything would be fair), but Lembergs quietly privatized it under this cover and pocketed it…

Finally a correct decision... conflict of interest at RīgasSiltums, husband wins tenders, very poor corporate governance, wastefulness in procurement... it is not normal that the VIP nursing home for state-owned company management continues its usual practice. Thanks to Hossam for the decision https://t.co/tT4d1dZ4Ai

@jemberga @inesevoika Let's not compare ourselves with a country at war.

@inesevoika And he did the right thing. One might think Ukrainians don't know what occupation is. Ukrainians have also experienced the Holodomor, with 3–4 million starved to death…

All shelter locations on one map 🗺️📢 The State Land Service, in cooperation with the State Fire and Rescue Service, has created a shelter map that shows shelter locations in one place. The map is freely available to everyone without authorization on the portal. I encourage everyone to check where shelters are located near your home, workplace, and children's schools. It is the state's duty to help prepare for a potential crisis and make important information easily accessible. The shelter map is a concrete step in this direction; work on civil defense must continue! Thanks to the State Land Service and the State Fire and Rescue Service for this joint effort! View the map here: https://t.co/1iWtJlGN5d