Latvian Political Monitor

Just without panic, friends🙏 The power grids are not ready, never have been, you have to count on it and prepare. Tonight is like another case. I live in Pierīga, Ādaži municipality. Densely populated area, no joke. Enough for the wind to blow, or wet snow, or rain, and the electricity goes out. About once a month. That's how it's always been, as long as I've been here - almost 30 years. This time it blows a bit stronger, it's called a storm, so 1/3 of Latvia's power supply is disrupted. But otherwise, everything as usual. Over these years I've paid many thousands for the 'connection' guarantee, neighbours too. Hundreds of thousands together. But nothing changes. When I once asked the ST leader where the money goes, he answered something from TV rhetoric. But in fact a transformer near the church goes bang and everything stops. In Jelgava a transformer burned tonight, here so far only fiery bangs. And so for almost 30 years. It's not a personal disaster though. When you've studied physics, you know how to wire your home grid to switch to a generator, run a 3-phase grid in single-phase mode, then you just have to roll the generator out onto the street. Study physics! But meanwhile the meetings continue. With stone-polished faces, again all sorts of TV clichés. Reminds me of London - when a bit of snow falls, they call it a transport collapse. For us it's autumn winds. Have a positive day everyone✊🙂

@BSmildzina Mrs. Smildziņa, if that is indeed your true identity 🙃 Your mentioned sequence of consequence arguments has long lost its relevance, because wages between Latvia and the EU have on average leveled out and Latvia still receives more money from the EU than it gives back. What exactly is the concern?

@ZigmundStankev1 I maintain this position in all foreign affairs conversations

@Elina_Treija Of course, I agree, we will do that in parallel. But to bring clarity and so that nothing slips past us, the fastest is freezing.

@kukseriks At the moment nothing depends on the government anymore. Regardless of who flies where and what anyone thinks about it.

🇱🇻 Latvia is currently paying for security from which all of Europe benefits. However, the bill remains largely with us. From 2027, Latvia will spend at least 5% of GDP on defense. We are strengthening the EU and NATO external border with the aggressor state. This border is not only Latvia's border—it is Europe's security border. But the current system is unfair. ➖️ Latvia borrows money to build fortifications and strengthen the eastern border. ➖️ Due to border-area risk, we pay higher interest on this debt. ➖️ Due to geopolitical risk, Latvia also loses investments and tourists. ➖️ At the same time, we buy billions worth of armaments and military equipment mainly from 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇫🇷 France, 🇸🇪 Sweden, 🇳🇱 the Netherlands, 🇪🇸 Spain and other countries. So Latvia takes on the debt and risk, while our defense spending simultaneously warms Western European economies. And all this is done to protect not only Riga or Daugavpils. Deterrence at Latvia's border also makes Berlin, Munich, Paris and Amsterdam safer. Therefore, the 7 billion euros Latvia is asking for is not “extra money for Latvia.” It is part of the cost of protecting Europe's common border. In seven years, that would be only about 0.4% of the nearly 2 trillion euro EU budget. For 449 million Europeans—about 2.23 euros per person per year. One coffee. For Latvia's inhabitants—about 540 euros per year. This difference very clearly shows the problem. Latvia will defend its border in any case. The question is—will all of Europe pay for Europe's common security, or will we leave a disproportionately large share of the bill to countries that happen geographically to be next to the aggressor's border? We are not asking for solidarity just for the sake of solidarity. We are offering the most effective European security investment—investing money where the real threat is. 🇪🇺 Europe's eastern border is common. The bill for its defense must also be common. https://t.co/oyE1yMcnR2

@RenarsKadzulis To call someone a criminal or allege corruption, you need ironclad evidence (it must be gathered and the case submitted to court). That is what the prosecutor's office does. You yourself recently shouted that you are being falsely accused, didn't you?

This mechanical increase of government and Saeima deputies' salaries must be frozen; there can be no talk of a rise when the budget lacks funds. There is no room for discussion there https://t.co/RgJoyIp11T

Andris is still laughing. And it's unclear whether it's through tears. I haven't for a long time. The previous government spoke beautifully and many people believed. Meanwhile, as a society, we systematically and inevitably continued to lose hundreds of millions. Not only with Ošlejs' ballads, but with the hands of completely real and decisive people. They are not a rarity, the typical level of a Twitter commenter. Ordinary people. My heart truly hurts. Physically. When I first became acquainted with the company's situation from the inside and came out of the Saeima meeting, psychosomatics kicked in. It stabbed my heart. No, no heart attack. You may not believe it, but since then I no longer smile at meetings. I watch with incomprehension the bustling carefree faces that are typical of all corporate governance meetings. For example. This week I participated in a meeting about RailBaltic. There, the Saeima representative emotionlessly announced that the construction technical specification specifies gravel that is not available in Latvia at all. Only on Mars. And nobody found that strange, the meeting continued. I decided that it's a victory. Have a nice evening.

“In 2024, Evika Siliņa called this a ‘very successful deal’. It seems to me that after two years we finally have the opportunity to assess how successful it was.” “340 million euros at 14.5 percent. Then another 40 million. Total 380 million. At the time, even financial market experts publicly said — this was the most expensive bond rate in Europe that year‼️But the government told us about a success.” “If the market asks a company for 14.5 percent, that is not a compliment to the company. It is a very loud warning signal.” “And that is precisely where my main complaint against the previous government lies. If you borrow money at 14.5 percent, a fundamental corporate transformation plan must be on the table that same day — what the fleet will be, how costs will be reduced, how the capital structure will be arranged, and when a strategic investor will come in.” “Instead, we continued the growth story. Now, two years later, we have Seabury, creditor negotiations, preparation of a new plan, and discussion about who will give the next money.” “That is why I sometimes look with a certain envy at the previous government’s optimism. Borrowing at 14.5 percent and calling it a very successful deal — you really need to know how to be that optimistic.” “Our government will not repeat this mistake. First restructuring. First creditor participation. First a viable airBaltic. And only then a conversation about whether the state still has to finance anything more.”

@JanisIkstens Show at least one prime minister's burned taxpayer euro related to the airline. If you don't know how to calculate, then you'd better keep your mouth shut.

@MartasTante Not needed - except Valainis, who is already 2 times a week late with the TET/LMT report, where I want to cut his real proposal - somehow forgot to bring it. Will have to write a new resolution.

@Aigars1972 very precisely described - that is exactly what is being implemented right now. This has nothing to do with pre-elections. AB must be critically sorted out before them. Otherwise it would be yet another €100 million loan from the state with no real chance of recovery. Currently the state gives nothing

@NaurisVizulis @airBaltic The wet lease, to my great surprise, is 'bad' over the course of a year - one can sense what a 'good deal' Gauss struck under the then Ministry of Transport leadership.... When I saw this, I couldn't believe it.

@Nodusgordius @CSDD_LV @Apvienotais_ a submission has already been filed with the prosecutor's office

won't cost anything