Political posts and news mentioning Apvienotais saraksts from monitored Latvian public sources.
From@n_karklinzYes, and Latvia was the last of the EU countries to separate the trader from the transmission in the gas market. It was the famous Saeima economic commission with Smiltēns, Kudums, Naudiņš and whoever else was there, who did everything to delay as long as possible. https://t.co/DfR55Oc1dM
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The use of artificial intelligence in politics should have limits. This text is a complete, unedited AI product. I'm not saying it shouldn't be used. It's a good tool. However, presenting it to voters uncritically as one's own writing is, in my view, unacceptable. https://t.co/SUGTKbxcAi
From@AndrisKulbergsDay No. 70 in the prime minister's chair - CONEXUS | Inčukalns – the gas battery of the Baltic region🔋 The Inčukalns underground gas storage is a place where Latvia's industrial history meets today's energy and security challenges. Previously, Inčukalns mainly worked as a seasonal warehouse – gas was injected in summer and withdrawn in winter. Today its role is completely different. 🚢 LNG ships in Klaipėda and Inkoo deliver large volumes of gas at once, but consumption is continuous. Inčukalns balances this difference – it receives gas, stores it, and returns it to the network when consumption rises, the next LNG shipment is delayed, or the market situation changes. That is why Inčukalns is increasingly becoming the “gas battery” of the Baltic and Finnish region. 🔋 📊 Facts about the CONEXUS Inčukalns gas storage: • Total annual gas consumption of countries connected to the storage – 40 TWh, or roughly 40 LNG cargoes. • 🇱🇹 The Lithuanian fertilizer producer ACHEMA has resumed production on a limited scale. At full capacity, the company consumed about 12 TWh of gas per year, now about 6 TWh. Products are no longer as competitive also due to the costs of the CO₂ levy introduced by the EU. • 🇱🇻 Latvia's state-held reserve in Inčukalns is 1.8 TWh, covering about 2–2.5 months of consumption. • 🇱🇹 Lithuania's reserve – 1.2 TWh. • 🇪🇪 Estonia's reserve – 1.0 TWh. • 👥 CONEXUS gas storage is used by 15 active gas traders. • 📈 If strategic changes are not made in energy policy regarding gas consumption and infrastructure use, the transmission tariff will continue to rise. Previously, about 14 TWh were transported through the system; now only 6–7 TWh, while CONEXUS costs are approximately 95% fixed and only 5% variable. From September 1, the transmission tariff will increase by 7%. • ❄️ The 2025/2026 winter gas price was significantly affected by the sudden large demand in 🇫🇮 Finland. • 🇱🇹 Lithuania is not in the common 🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻 gas transmission tariff zone and applies an additional 0.8 €/MWh charge – 0.4 + 0.4 €/MWh. • 🇵🇱 Poland applies additional transmission costs of about 5 €/MWh, which practically eliminates commercial interest in selling the gas stored in Inčukalns further into Europe. • 🏗️ 22.52 TWh is the required buffer gas volume to ensure the operation of the Inčukalns storage – about 1.5 billion euros at today's prices. • ⚙️ The maximum technological capacity of Inčukalns is 24.4 TWh. • 📉 The storage fill level is currently relatively low because traders are in no hurry to buy gas for reserves – the future long-term price is around 40 €/MWh, while the current price is around 80 €/MWh. • ⛽ The Inčukalns storage fill is about 11 TWh, including about 4 TWh of safety reserve. ⚙️ During the visit, we looked at both the historical pump and compressor units, some of which were still built during Soviet times, and the new equipment. An interesting historical fact – the technological solutions of that time were supposedly based on drawings developed in the USA and legally purchased by the USSR, not obtained through industrial espionage. But Inčukalns has long been more than just a Soviet-era legacy. 💶 99.5 million euros have been invested in a seven-year modernization, including 44 million euros of EU funding. 🇺🇸 A new Solar Turbines “Titan 130” gas pumping unit has also been installed in the storage, allowing stable gas withdrawal even at lower storage fill and pressure. Previously, the system essentially lived by a rhythm – inject for several months, withdraw for several months. Now the operating mode and traders' nominations can change even within a few days. This is a completely different level of load and responsibility. 🛡️ That is why we specifically discussed the resilience of Inčukalns: electricity and communication outages, the possibility of taking over control manually, spare parts, independent communication channels, cybersecurity, sabotage risks, and drone threats. 💶 The second big issue is tariffs. If it is not economically advantageous for a trader to buy gas today, pay for transportation and storage, and sell it later, the market will not fill the storage by itself. The state's task is to prevent short-term commercial calculations from threatening our energy security in winter. 🌍 The next task is to achieve a truly unified regional gas market. 🇱🇻 Latvia, 🇪🇪 Estonia, and 🇫🇮 Finland already operate in a common market zone. 🇱🇹 Lithuania has not yet fully joined it, and 🇵🇱 Polish tariffs further increase the cost of gas movement to the rest of Europe. Our interest is a system in which an LNG ship can enter Klaipėda or Inkoo, gas reaches Inčukalns without artificial tariff obstacles, and from there – to consumers throughout the region. 🇱🇻 Inčukalns is Latvia's strategic advantage. It is no longer just a “gas basement for winter”. It is critically important energy security infrastructure for the Baltic and Finland – our region's gas battery. 🔋
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KNAB takes on parties: several proceedings launched for pre-election campaign violations
KNAB has initiated administrative proceedings for illegal campaigning.
To reduce the fuel price, I call on Prime Minister Kulbergs to reduce the fuel excise tax! https://t.co/lF1aN4p7Ni
Sincere thanks for the invitation from @barikades1991 museum to participate in the opening of R. Ražuka's book about the 1991 Barricades in English. The Barricades demonstrated our nation's courage and unity in defending freedom. This book will help carry Latvia's story of freedom into the world. https://t.co/bn9AuHiEDL
KNAB has initiated administrative violation proceedings against parties for illegalities with agitation.
The Saeima is preparing a new 10% tax for small additional incomes
How to balance bans and prevent people from poisoning themselves with illegal market products – journalist Kristīne Kravcova's conversation with the finance minister's advisor Guntars Vītols (AS), economist Jānis Hermanis (MMN) and journalist Mārtiņš Otto: https://t.co/XI5KtAgssC https://t.co/b3BqPYr3wR
The new law, over which much was fought, comes into force.
Degradation in the media is visible, but the question is whether we should continue to finance this degradation in the same way and to the same extent with taxpayers' money, that is a question for the prime minister and the political environment? https://t.co/1Xc3Kaf60l
From@AndrisKulbergsThis morning at 7:00 I gave an interview to @LRZinas while being in Lapland at the Arctic Summit, an EU leaders' event. It surprises me that instead of the Latvian public learning about the decisions we are making to strengthen security against Russian threats, my 1:1 discussions with German Chancellor Merz about the EU's new 7-year budget, about the common agreement of Baltic leaders to solve the RailBaltica issue, about Iceland's EU referendum or the general EU position in the Arctic in the fight for natural resources and the new northern sea transport corridor... all that journalists are interested in is Uzulnieks being caught drunk, whether ministers use drugs, and why I hold a glass of beer at a basketball game... I believe you can do better 😉
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From@patmalnieksjAn energy price storm is approaching. This is evidenced by rising gas prices on world exchanges. Soon there will be questions - why is electricity expensive? The answer is simple - Latvia is waiting for a lucky bear rather than learning from others how to reduce electricity prices. While other European countries build wind parks to stabilize prices, Latvia's government rejects plans and produces bureaucratic procedures to impede their construction. Lithuania has facilitated billions in investments in wind energy development, which have brought GDP growth and energy security. In Latvia, an active minority has been given free rein, which blocks development and invents ever new reasons why EIA is bad, spatial plans are wrong, etc., etc. Some municipalities have followed this minority. All this despite the fact that municipalities receive money for each installed turbine. The same municipalities then also ask the government for money for financial equalization and various projects. Apparently it is easier to lobby for additional funds in Riga than to think about regional development. Some political parties (NA and AS) also see their political future in this minority. That is a path to expensive electricity and backwardness. Changes in how we generate electricity require years of work, a pile of expert opinions and billions of investments. Investors are ready to invest, and the state must give them the opportunity to do so, in order to reduce electricity prices in the name of society's common interests.
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"airBaltic" has found new creditors in America.
Question – how broad will the maneuvering options be?
From@r_freidenfelds@kr_klavins @jautaa_veel Vote buying by Dzintars Zaķis, Kampars' double life and possible interference in election results by @RenarsKadzulis, Junkurs' Hong Kong 'luck' and Adamovičs' fraud. Did you ask about that?
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From@r_freidenfelds‼️I am disappointed in @AndrisKulbergs. Almost not a single scrap of documents that the public has the right to read has been handed over. I hope that Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga's conversation with Putin in the Austrian Alps will soon be published. The deadline is approaching. But overall there is a huge amount of unpublished🤯 https://t.co/FJqgsTKOLI
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@AndrisKulbergs @LRZinas But I don't believe
From@AndrisKulbergsThis morning at 7:00 I gave an interview to @LRZinas while being in Lapland at the Arctic Summit, an EU leaders' event. It surprises me that instead of the Latvian public learning about the decisions we are making to strengthen security against Russian threats, my 1:1 discussions with German Chancellor Merz about the EU's new 7-year budget, about the common agreement of Baltic leaders to solve the RailBaltica issue, about Iceland's EU referendum or the general EU position in the Arctic in the fight for natural resources and the new northern sea transport corridor... all that journalists are interested in is Uzulnieks being caught drunk, whether ministers use drugs, and why I hold a glass of beer at a basketball game... I believe you can do better 😉
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@Chapis Logically, because no one put spokes in JV's wheels for 17 years, while they managed to sabotage @AndrisKulbergs on average 3–4 times a day in a couple of months.
Is it really unclear to someone? You will vote in the elections for the nice Kulbergs and the United List - and you will have voted for the same Unity cancer. https://t.co/A5Pce3Lc55
From@citskovskisjCan't make it in time. That is how the prime minister responds to all calls to liquidate ministries and institutions. KEM and SIF continue their work. But at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, the prime minister's party colleague Tavars has submitted a question about establishing a new institution (Latvian National Botanical Garden, 99 posts; the State Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance do not agree) already from October 1 of this year!!! Why such enormous haste, and are there hidden political interests here? The botanical garden existed as a separate institution until the end of 2025. A competition for the post of director of LNBD had even been announced. The selection committee recommended two candidates to the then Minister of VARAM Čudars (JV). One of them was a member of Kulbergs's party, Saeima deputy A. Svilāns. Čudars decided to end the competition without a result and liquidated LNBD. The functions were transferred to the Nature Conservation Agency. A lot of money and resources were spent in the liquidation process. But 9 months later, the next minister Tavars does the exact opposite. Where is the logic? Perhaps the haste is related to the fact that Mr. Svilāns again wants to become director of LNBD.
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From@citskovskisjCan't keep up. That's how the PM responds to all calls to liquidate ministries and institutions. KEM and SIF continue to work. But at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, the PM's party colleague Tavars has submitted a question about establishing a new institution (Latvian National Botanical Garden, 99 positions; the State Chancellery and the Ministry of Finance do not agree) already from October 1 of this year!!! Why such great haste and are there hidden political interests here? The Botanical Garden existed as a separate institution until the end of 2025. A competition for the position of director of LNBD had even been announced. The selection committee recommended two candidates to the then VARAM minister Čudars (JV). One of them was Kulberga's party colleague, Saeima deputy A. Svilāns. Čudars decided to end the competition without results, and LNBD was liquidated. Functions were transferred to the Nature Conservation Agency. A lot of money and resources were spent during the liquidation process. But 9 months later, the next minister Tavars does everything the opposite. Where is the logic? Perhaps the haste is related to the fact that Svilāns' comrade again wants to become the director of LNBD.
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