From@Ivars_AbolinsStrengthening the role of the Russian language in Uzbekistan with Latvian taxpayers' money. This is exactly what happened with the co-financing of EUR 11,734 granted by the Society Integration Foundation (SIF) to the association Centre Marta. The project’s aim is “to promote the involvement of Latvian civil society organisations and strengthen capacities in an international cooperation project aimed at preventing gender-based violence and developing a support system in Uzbekistan, providing methodological tools and training for local NGOs and other interested partners to improve the identification, support and social integration of victims of violence.” The project was implemented in a multilingual environment, and the methodological (!!!) and informational materials are available in Russian and Uzbek. So the methodological materials are in Russian. At a time when Latvia’s budget lacks funds and we cannot always help our own people, the presence of the Russian language in Uzbekistan is being expanded with the resources of the whole society. This case once again shows that the SIF must in fact be liquidated or seriously reformed, and things cannot remain as they are.
Open referenced post
Latest posts
15966From@cikvarnestThe state debt is €20.5 billion, +€1.6 billion in 2025 alone, but the government is not changing for now and we are driving with the pedal to the metal. Jānis Hermanis shows numbers, not slogans. On October 3 – No. 2. #mmn https://t.co/zkrtD9hidD
Open referenced post
From@J_HermanisLatvia 🇱🇻 has accumulated EUR 27.8 billion in foreign investment by the middle of this year, or ~EUR 15 thousand per inhabitant. Meanwhile, in neighboring countries: * Lithuania 🇱🇹 - already EUR 50 billion (EUR 17.3 thousand per inhabitant) * Estonia 🇪🇪 - EUR 36.2 billion (EUR 26.5 thousand per inhabitant). Latvia is lagging behind!
Open referenced post
From@partijaMMNJānis Hermanis on Latvian statistics. The data are not encouraging - the state debt continues to grow, but the size of the public sector does not change. The most effective solution is reducing the state administration and moving employees to the private sector, thereby increasing the contribution to the economy. https://t.co/O69eRQtrWv
Open referenced post
From@AndrisKulbergsDay No. 85 in the prime minister's chair (Monday) – 💰 Parties — who promises more? 📊 Budget scenarios; 🇳🇵 News from Nepal The day was spent working with @MarisKucinskis, @Finmin and @Valstskase officials and managers, analysing state finances, economic forecasts, saving opportunities and various scenarios. 📊 Figures, data and facts: ➖ The financial policy and spending management of previous governments have long been irresponsible — the budget deficit has been kept at the maximum possible limit, regularly borrowing money also for everyday spending. Such an approach had become the norm, and the whole Latvian society and sectors have become accustomed to this model. ➖ In 2028, the largest budget deficit is forecast — €2.7 billion, or 5.4%! ➖ Just servicing the state debt, i.e. interest payments, will already cost €681 million next year. This money will have to be found somewhere — so somewhere less will have to be spent. Debt servicing costs have risen from €155 million in 2021 to €681 million in 2027, because the price of money has become significantly higher. ➖ By 2030, the budget plans adopted by New Unity's finance ministers and prime minister provide for a deficit of around €2 billion every year. That is not safe and sustainable management of state finances. ➖ The Siliņa government (JV) left behind decisions adopted in the Cabinet of Ministers or laws worth €421 million in 2027, and this amount rises to €663 million in 2030 — WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL COVERAGE. Of which: 🏥 €264 million — for health care 👩🏫 €56 million — for teachers' salaries ➖ Latvia's current and forecast economic growth is stagnatingly low — around +2% a year, but its contribution to the budget is largely eaten up by forecast annual inflation of +3.5%. ➖ The largest increase in budget expenditure is for defence and security — +32%, amounting to around €2 billion a year. ➖ The state has long been programmed to live at the maximum permissible budget deficit, without reviewing existing expenditure and on top of that adding another +1.5% of borrowing for security, which the 🇪🇺EU allows to be additionally included in the deficit for three years. Conclusion? 👉We do not review existing budget expenditure. 👉We continue to live on debt. 👉And we borrow even more, because we are allowed to do so. That is not right. ➖ Also noteworthy is the manoeuvre of E. Siliņa's (JV) government, borrowing 1% from the 2nd pension level. That too will have to be paid back into the budget — an impact of around €280 million in 2029. ➖ Also in 2029, the term expires for the additional tax imposed on banks, i.e. the windfall tax. As a result, the state budget will also lose these additional revenues. ➖ One of the biggest problems in budget planning is politically adopted decisions to "tie" spending in specific sectors to a certain percentage — for example, 6% of GDP for health care — or to automatically index wages. If a budget expenditure is tied to a specific %, the whole expenditure part automatically increases as GDP or another variable grows — without any new government or Saeima decision. ✅ There is also good news. The Ministry of Finance and @kucinskis have been working since July, reviewing the ministries' base expenditure, and have already found €214 million in savings in the 2027 budget base. That is a step in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work to do. We must continue to optimise expenditure so that there is money to cover already planned and adopted commitments for which no revenues have been identified. 📕 One thing is clear to me — the next government will have to adopt an iron-fisted "2027–2030 FISCAL STABILITY AND REFORM PLAN", more precisely — a special law, similar to during Covid. The way out of this financial situation is not a simple spending-cutting plan. That will not be enough this time. 📈 The economy and budget revenues must be grown rapidly, with the main emphasis on the opportunities of export-capable companies. I believe this is possible, because such slow economic growth can and should be increased by at least +1.5 percentage points a year. That would give the budget an additional around €300 million in revenue. 💶 But we need to save already today — already for 2027. That is why the ministers agreed: ⛔ To stop the typical DECEMBER waste — meaninglessly spending the balances of ministries and institutions at the end of the year. ⛔ From 1 October, to suspend the conclusion of any new contracts and commitments. A similar moratorium as in the ICT area — if something is truly necessary, the need and usefulness must be proven. 🧊 To freeze salaries at the 2025 level. ⛔ To stop paying DECEMBER bonuses and extra payments — an exception may be allowed only for special achievements and with a manager's justification. ⛔ To stop unnecessary events, seminars, conferences, consultations and studies, as well as office and equipment renewal, IT and other investments that are not critically necessary. 🔍 Ministers must take political responsibility and, together with state secretaries and heads of institutions, review and justify any budget expenditure above €50,000. 🗳️ PARTIES — WHO PROMISES MORE? Given this stark budget reality and the legacy left in state finances, where even borrowing up to the maximum 🇪🇺EU-permitted budget deficit limit is not enough, the pre-election promises of political parties stand out in particular. They can no longer be measured in hundreds of millions — they are already measured in billions of euros, moreover without financial coverage and without a real economic growth offer. I have analysed the programmes of several political parties and summarised each party's promises in monetary terms for the period from 2027 to 2030. 🏆 The political "Promisers" record-holders for the next four years: 🥇 No.1 — Suverēnā Vara / Jaunlatvieši (Stepaņenko wants to give benefits, cut VAT, raise wages): +€3.61 billion 🥈 No.2 — @LatvijaPirmaja (@SlesersAinars – we lower VAT on everything): +€2.87 billion 🥉 No.3 — @ZZS_ (@ViktorsValainis — promising to abolish VAT): +€2.47 billion 4️⃣ @Progresivie (@suvajevs — because money grows on trees): +€2.1 billion 5️⃣ @Jauna_Vienotiba (@aseradens — we continue to borrow endlessly): +€1.56 billion 6️⃣ @tblv Nacionālā Apvienība — (wants to fund language, education, culture and fight illegal migration, without thinking about the ECONOMY): +€1.55 billion 7️⃣ @Apvienotais_ — main emphasis on education, which will pay off in the future, with a justification of where we will get the funding: +€763 million 🇳🇵 NEPAL In the Nepalese context — all those belonging to Latvia are still in the status of missing persons. According to the Civil Law, one must wait until April 2027 to change this status and relatives can start arranging the necessary documents. Until then — hope dies last. The Latvian government is ready to help in every possible way, if such a need arises.
Open referenced post
From@attistibai🎾 Ivars @Ijabs explains “Latvijas attīstībai”'s healthcare proposal. Source: Delfi https://t.co/4XJ2mFooim
Open referenced post
From@AgneseKrastaMy choice is a strong Latvia in a safe Europe. I want to live in a free, European, and lawful Latvia. I do not want our country to be governed by mercantile populists whose goal is to side with the East. I confidently support the Jaunā Vienotība Riga team led by @Braze_Baiba 🇱🇻🇪🇺 https://t.co/1HFuEKbvx6
Open referenced post
From@RaivisZeltitsI wouldn't even have to defend a candidate or minister from another party, but this is a matter of state and on the merits. The Foreign Minister's decision on “persona non grata” is a fast process that lies exclusively within the Foreign Minister's competence. The Interior Minister has to carry out procedural steps and must receive an opinion from competent state institutions, which can also mean the decision being stalled at lower levels. If Dombrava is calling for a direct declaration of “non grata”, then I assume there is a basis for it. And that is your competence. It is a faster process. And this is a decisive time. If the occupier had not been toppled before the 2022 elections, it would still be standing, because afterwards there would not have been the necessary pressure from public opinion. It looks to me like delay over the chance to get rid of one walking occupier... If there is no result now, we will continue to bring shame on the state.
Open referenced post
From@Aldis0523918832@Ceslavs_Batna @IIndriksone @didzisdejus @janisdombrava Universities should not be asked for their opinion on immigration; universities must comply with the law. Power belongs to the people, not to universities.
Open referenced post
From@janisdombravaThis evening on TV24 a discussion with the Director General of the Employers' Confederation on restricting immigration. I am inconvenient for economic groups that have an interest in immigration.
Open referenced post
@liana_langa @AndrisKulbergs That is why, friend, because the committee now still has to do the work that IZM did not finish…
From@liana_langaLet me inform you a little about the political games, so that the work done by NA would not be visible before the elections: 1/ Amendments to the Higher Education Law were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on 8 September; on 11 September @AndrisKulbergs sent them to the education committee of party member Batņa. 2/ IZM asked to include them on the IKZK agenda, but that did not happen. 3/ On 17 September they were considered in the Saeima and referred for consideration to Batņa's committee. 4/ At the 21 September cooperation meeting, coalition partners agreed to review the law amendments before the elections. 5/ On 22 September, deputy Normunds Dzintars asked at the committee meeting to include [it] on the DK agenda; IT WAS REFUSED! 6/ Now [he] has scheduled consideration in the subcommittee on 6 October and in the committee on 13 October. WHY is that? Think, friend!
Open referenced post
Meet the Riga deputy candidates of the party "Austošā Saule Latvijai"! #vēlēšanas2026 #Saima #Latvija https://t.co/OSdm3O6aup
🎾 Ivars @Ijabs explains “Latvijas attīstībai”'s healthcare proposal. Source: Delfi https://t.co/4XJ2mFooim
From@edgarsjOne reason not to vote for Progresīvie. If you like corruption, fixing things with friends in power, receiving pay for consultations to Rīga Central Market and advising Saskaņa/Ušakovs, then Pro won't do. Pro secured two criminal prosecutions for bribe givers and gave Mierkalns a headache. https://t.co/aS7tAMIv1c
Open referenced post
From@evangershkovichOne issue with having gotten arrested in late March 2023 was that I was unable to keep writing about the tens of thousands of innocent Russian and Ukrainian political prisoners held in Russian jails. I’ve included some of their stories in This Cursed Beautiful Land, out now https://t.co/Qc9auVXMdZ
Open referenced post
What does it mean to be elected to the Saeima with a specific proposal.
From@urotbergsJV firmly supports the Istanbul Convention on eliminating violence in the family. What won't they scare us with – gender reassignment, the destruction of values, social genders! Remember the already folklorized sayings of the convention's opponents – Smiltēns's “the little room was very tiny”, Līdaka's “simply because I want to”, or the infamous message from Kulbergs to Īvāns: “he deserves a slap in the face for this.” In the Saeima, LPV with its fellow travellers is again stirring things up. They are trying to set people against one another by amending the Constitution. JV does not yield to myths and will protect Latvia's belonging to the Western value space, democracy, and respect for human rights. Who stands to benefit from turning people against each other in Latvia? Don't vote for those who help blow LPV's Kremlin pipe!
Open referenced post
Latvia 🇱🇻 has accumulated EUR 27.8 billion in foreign investment by the middle of this year, or ~EUR 15 thousand per inhabitant. Meanwhile, in neighboring countries: * Lithuania 🇱🇹 - already EUR 50 billion (EUR 17.3 thousand per inhabitant) * Estonia 🇪🇪 - EUR 36.2 billion (EUR 26.5 thousand per inhabitant). Latvia is lagging behind!
From@EdvardsRatnieks❓ Why are the anti-immigration proposals put forward by NA being stalled in the Saeima and the government?
Open referenced post
From@TsahknaGood meeting today in Riga with Latvia’s justice minister @EdvardsSmiltens, covering everything from getting the Special Tribunal up and running to supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction. https://t.co/PZFJs9OrrC
Open referenced post