Latvian Political Monitor

@VisockisJuris Juri, I understand that you have only your truths and then others. Thanks for the conversation.

Organizing illegal migration is an attack on our national security. 🇱🇻 Russia and Belarus are using the migrant flow as a hybrid warfare tool, overloading Latvia's border guard and security services. Meanwhile, organized crime groups are making thousands of euros from each illegally moved person. That is why we have prepared stricter penalties: ⚖️ up to 12 years in prison for illegally moving people across the border in the most serious cases; ⚖️ harsher liability for aiding illegal stay in Latvia; ⚖️ harsher liability for organizing the abuse of obtaining residence rights. The numbers show the scale of the problem. In 2024, we initiated 103 criminal proceedings for these crimes, and in 2025 already 142. However, the latest @VRS_gov_lv data shows that by mid-September the number has already reached 143 criminal proceedings against 109 individuals. This is growing and internationally organized crime that must be tackled with all the state's might. Operation "Vilkatis" has been launched to strengthen the security of Latvia's eastern border and the ability of state institutions to jointly respond to attempted illegal border crossings and the activities of those involved. So far, 1054 illegal border crossers have been detained during the operation. Video: TV24 "Ziņu TOP" 17.09.

Latvia needs to involve 'white hackers' in strengthening national cybersecurity. 👨🏼‍💻 There must be a clear distinction between malicious intrusion and data extortion versus situations where a person discovers a system vulnerability and responsibly reports it. Therefore, work is underway together with other ministries on legislative amendments and a clear procedure for legally discovering and reporting such vulnerabilities. Latvia is a small country, and in the field of cybersecurity we need the knowledge of all capable people. The state's task is to create a system where honest help is used for public safety. Video: TV24 'Ziņu TOP' 17.09.

Political competitors with a 5% goal have set up a beer tent right at the door of the Ministry of Finance 😄 https://t.co/9xHIqnkHcz

Dear @Ryanair, Ryanair rented a ballroom to announce two aircraft and Riga as this year’s “winner”. It seems their scratch cards have finally made their way from the cabin to the strategy department. But their own announcement makes the point better than we could. Riga has “won” this year’s round. Tallinn and Vilnius have won previous ones – and their reward this winter is a 25% capacity cut. That exposes the paradox at the heart of Ryanair’s proposal: long-term investment cannot be re-auctioned every year. A commitment that has to be won again each season – at an ever lower price – is not much of a commitment. The Baltics need reliable, long-term connectivity, not an annual auction to see who is prepared to offer the cheapest landing. That is a difficult model to call a long-term connectivity strategy. https://t.co/aOZJYQOxlB

Regarding taxes - logically, they must be paid. It is a matter of self-respect and honor towards oneself and society. But we must remember that national borders have long ceased to exist when we talk about e-residency. Choices can be varied where to base oneself. US companies settle in Ireland, for example.

@VisockisJuris @jautaa_veel @AndrisKulbergs @AlvisHermanis1 @RostovskisA @AndrisBite Juris, I understand what you write. At the same time, it must be understood that LV is a democratic republic, which entails that there is no single truth and that what the leader says does not automatically have the force of law. The ideas you express can only be implemented in a totalitarian regime model, not in a democracy.

So it turns out that unfortunately we live in different realities. Until we have to dig through the face-lifted Ždanoka, because how can it be that a dad from Russia appears who generously sends money, while our honest citizens have to face AML and customs duties. We can do better!👌

@VisockisJuris @jautaa_veel @AndrisKulbergs @AlvisHermanis1 @RostovskisA @AndrisBite For clarity, I am very conservative against migration from third world countries. We must accept the fact that it exists and decide together how to regulate it for our own good. Taxes can be paid wherever one wants nowadays. They can also reside in another country if anything.

Day No.75 in the prime minister's chair (Thursday) – 🇱🇻 world-class ammunition and ✈️ AirBaltic decision Today (Friday, 11 Sept) I went to Latvia's largest ammunition manufacturer, Ammunity, in Bauska. 🇸🇪 Swedish investors have invested approximately 40 million euros in the company, which for Latvia means its own production, its own stockpiles, its own competence and expertise. 💥 AMMUNITY + Baltic Bullets (Rēzekne) ➖️ In military production, it is essential to involve Latvian industry as much as possible, so that 30–40% of money spent on defense returns to the Latvian economy. ➖️ Ammunition production has enormous strategic importance. It is precisely production capacity in a crisis that determines whether a country can ensure its own supply and defense. ➖️ Ammunity produces a wide range of ammunition, allowing it to compete even in large international procurements. 🎯 A special Latvian success story is the jointly patented production technology of Ammunity and Baltic Bullets. Top-tier sniper ammunition has been developed, intended to be supplied even to 🇺🇸 US Army snipers. This was achieved through an unconventional and innovative approach to bullet design and production. The highest precision in the industry can bring Latvia's name to the world. ⚡️ Speed + specialization could become Latvia's “Nokia” in the military industry. But we again ran into obstacles of our own making. ⚠️ In Latvia, there is effectively no regulation specifically adapted for military production. I discussed the situation with R. Melnis – action will follow. A military factory cannot operate under the same principles as an ordinary civilian facility. We must reduce bureaucracy and legal overregulation where it directly hinders an industry important to national security. ➖️ The NBS lacks engineers and technical specialists who could precisely define technical specifications in procurement projects. ➖️ The NBS and the State Defense and Logistics Procurement Center do not have sufficient testing capabilities to independently verify the quality of products offered by Ammunity and other Latvian manufacturers. This is also important for fair and high-quality procurements. 🏗️ Even installing barbed wire on the factory territory can get stuck in the municipal building board's approvals. In a situation where military threats from 🇷🇺 are not a theory and we see similar security problems in 🇪🇪, we must critically review building regulations, environmental requirements, and protection zone rules in the military sphere. It turns out that Latvia has no fully developed special regulatory framework for military production. This must be changed immediately. I have instructed to tackle it immediately. I will give the task to prepare the necessary solutions, because it is not normal that military production is forced to operate under standard civilian rules, creating bureaucracy, uncertainty, and delays. 🚁💥 A very interesting novelty is also anti-drone ammunition developed in Latvia. The bullet's head contains five fragmentation elements that, when fired from a standard weapon, create a shot-like spread and can help neutralize a drone at approximately 30–50 meters. This means a soldier does not necessarily need another specialized weapon – it is possible to use the same weapon, just changing the ammunition magazine. 🌍 I see very large export potential here. ✈️ AirBaltic extraordinary meeting Today was also one of the heaviest and most significant AirBaltic decision moments. We evaluated the bondholder strategy and all possible scenarios. The situation is extremely complicated, but we jointly made a bold decision to move AirBaltic toward restructuring using the 🇺🇸 US Chapter 11 legal protection process. Why? Because the problem must no longer be kicked down the road again. Consultants have secured the possibility to attract competitive, world-leading bank-level financing for the restructuring process. 💶 We responsibly weighed the risks and benefits and decided not to burn taxpayers' money just because elections are approaching. ✈️ The adopted solution provides for maintaining AirBaltic's flight capability and service provision to customers during restructuring. After this decision, the government has done everything necessary so that: ➖️ AirBaltic's board, ➖️ council, ➖️ and the Ministry of Transport as shareholder have all necessary instruments for the company's restructuring and attracting a strategic investor. Now is the time not to postpone problems but to solve them.

@GenaGenadijs @jautaa_veel @AndrisKulbergs @AlvisHermanis1 @RostovskisA @AndrisBite Feel free to look it up, I won't waste time on trolls. Caravel and Turiba.

Before disparaging entrepreneurs, it should be noted here that @RostovskisA and @AndrisBite pay several million in taxes every year. With what money was the JRT building built, remind me? It is simply necessary to sort out/align migration policy and stop Latvians from tearing each other apart 🫡🤝

Interesting that the biggest bearer of change @AlvisHermanis1 is able to declaim change on Facebook, but not defend ideas in the prime minister debates. Migration, you see, bothers him... Rostovskis and Bite are supposedly the main culprits in migration... but the 'famous' director has no facts, no data, no evidence, only fake claims. I defended and explained AS plans and ideas, but the director got scared...

Regarding the governance of state-owned companies... it must be fundamentally changed in the next government. All state-owned companies must be placed under the Latvian Development Fund, where there would be professional management and the earned money would be reinvested and earn, rather than be consumed in maintaining the state apparatus. Investments would earn with interest. The shares of this LV Development Fund would be listed on the stock exchange and would obtain the necessary capital for energy projects, regional construction, strengthening the border, infrastructure projects such as roads and railways, etc.

Germany, at our request, will intensively guard our airspace during the elections on October 1/2/3. Thanks to @_FriedrichMerz for support Our allies are with Latvia. This is a concrete demonstration of NATO solidarity and our common commitment to protect Latvia's airspace and people's safety. Thank you Germany for responsiveness and close cooperation!

There is no place for Russia's war economy in Latvia. 🚫 Also, the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain must not continue to bring profit to the aggressor states. The amendments to the law adopted by the Saeima today will allow to significantly increase the railway infrastructure fee and make this transit more expensive until Russian ports in Latvia are no longer economically advantageous. This is a legally grounded and practically feasible step towards the complete cessation of transit. At the same time, in cooperation with Ukraine, the United Kingdom and France, a mechanism for determining the origin of grain is being developed. If grain stolen in the occupied territories of Ukraine is found in cargo, it will be evidence of a serious Russian crime. We have an obligation to use all legal instruments so that Latvia does not become a transit corridor for financing Russia's war. 🇱🇻🇺🇦 Video: TV24 Ziņu TOP | 17.09.2026

Ask yourself an honest question: would you celebrate together with a man who drinks vodka in his free time together with a child and women rapist? Surely no one would want to! Ovechkin is that motherfurcker orc who drinks with Putin and parties together.

So that people's rights are better protected! After persistent work, an important change has finally been achieved – non-bank lenders will henceforth be supervised by the Bank of Latvia. And that is already a good step forward!