Latvian Political Monitor

@ama1ek @ijabs Good evening, Emīl, very diligently. Should we tell you who Emīls Ozoliņš is?

Government promises larger and broader support for residents during the heating season

14 September

To help voters make a critical and informed choice in the 15th Saeima elections, Latvian Television offers a series of programs “Party in Focus” that provides a comprehensive insight into party programs and their offerings. #IzvēliesLatvijasNākotni #Vēlēšanas2026 🖥️: Tonight "New Unity" is invited to the program: https://t.co/BscG0X1U0j

Nothing to say… society, green-farmer Armand Krauze, this is a lesson not for society, but for your augulis, kozlovskis, stukans and straumes. https://t.co/RxQBL1D441

VIDEO: Choose Latvia's future! Party in focus – 'New Unity'

LIVE: Choose Latvia's future! Party in focus – 'New Unity'

The former welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks, caught driving under heavy intoxication, has publicly apologized. Despite regret, he must leave the ministerial post and also his party – the Latvian Farmers' Union. The law stipulates that after dismissal, the minister is entitled to compensation of one month's salary. But great tolerance towards alcohol and 'covering for one's own' often prevents open resolution of internal crises, admit experts interviewed by LTV. Also people surveyed on Riga streets agree that society is too tolerant on this issue, and ask whether there are other officials acting similarly. 🖥️ https://t.co/MIpUkcaKzU

I am pleased that drugs, cigarettes, and other harmful substances that damage the health of the people do not reach the streets. In recent months, the State Police have worked hard to confiscate hundreds of kilograms of drugs and bring the guilty to justice.

Now former Minister of Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks apologizes for drunk driving and acknowledges the seriousness of the incident. For this violation of the law, he faces real imprisonment.

🎯 Here you can see delight over the victory of the socialist PRO-migration party in the Swedish elections, where immigrants, among others, voted for the continuation and receipt of their social benefits and allowances from Swedish taxpayers. 🤯 Friends, it is not good, we seem to have a big problem with migrant lovers at home. Here is a clear path being preached — benefits and social allowances for migrants, so that they flock in as many as in Sweden and practically destroy a national state.

Narcologists on Uzulnieks' episode: three per mille intoxication indicates alcoholism; experts assess: it is tolerated and covered up

This 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 😉

Solemn ceremony of judges' oath at Riga Castle 👩🏼‍⚖️ This year is special, because in no other year have there been so many solemn promises and oath ceremonies for judges. The foundation of a democratic state is an independent, professional and fair judiciary that can work flawlessly even in the most complex circumstances. Every judge's decision strengthens or weakens public trust in the state. A judge's mandate comes with great responsibility – to protect the rule of law, justice and the foundations of a democratic state. Today, the judges took the oath to President Edgars Rinkēvičs: ⚖️ Māra Bileskalne – judge of Riga City Court; ⚖️ Ieva Strautmane-Zālīte – judge of Riga City Court; ⚖️ Vita Vucina – judge of Riga District Court; ⚖️ Santa Savina – judge of Administrative District Court. I wish the new judges courage, wisdom and an unwavering sense of justice in fulfilling this nationally significant duty! Photo: Chancery of the President

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

🟥 Since 2022, we in LPV have been warning about airBaltic's problems, but no one wanted to listen or dig deeper – they just kept throwing money into the fire. So now we have come to a broken trough! All this time, the Unity government and ministers lied to you. I hope that now someone will finally get it! Or will you still call us populists? Below is a chronology: when and about what Ainārs Šlesers, Vilis Krištopans and LATVIA FIRST warned. 2022 ▪️ September 27. In a publication about TV24 pre-election debates, Šlesers criticised the use of state money invested in airBaltic, expressed suspicions of possible theft of money through leasing transactions, and called for involving the prosecutor's office to check cash flows. ▪️ October 15. In a report on a TV24 interview, Šlesers called for finding out where airBaltic's allocated money ends up, what the aircraft leasing companies are and who their owners are. He promised to seek support for a parliamentary investigation committee, in which he would question Gausa, the transport minister and the prime minister. ▪️ October 24. On TV24's "Kārtības rullis", Vilis Krištopans warned: "I feel that this company can no longer be saved!" He promised to regularly raise airBaltic's problems and propose a parliamentary investigation into possible theft of the company. ▪️ November 21. In an NRA interview, Krištopans criticised airBaltic's business model and disproportionate liabilities. He asked why Latvian taxpayers must pay for a model in which the company leases aircraft and subleases them to "Lufthansa". He repeatedly demanded an investigation into the company's operations. 2024 ▪️ March 14. In a report on a TV24 discussion, Šlesers criticised the government's weak supervision of airBaltic, the lack of a clear action plan, the insufficient utilisation of aircraft and the burden of leasing payments. His warning: "Like the 'Titanic', we are approaching a catastrophe." ▪️ May 2. In the Saeima, Šlesers called on the State Audit Office to start supervising airBaltic. At the same time, he supported a funding solution, justifying it by the need to prevent the company from being closed. ▪️ June 13. In Saeima debates, Šlesers criticised the cost of airBaltic's borrowing. He noted that a loan of around 300 million euros costs the company around 50 million euros a year, and questioned the sustainability of such a burden. 2025 ▪️ January 13. In a Latvian Radio interview, Šlesers demanded the resignation of Siliņa and Briškens, criticising airBaltic's losses and the government's inability to set the company's objectives. He accused Briškens of lacking control over what happens in the company. ▪️ January 21. Šlesers assessed the replacement of airBaltic's board as Briškens's attempt to keep his ministerial post. He stressed that changing the board alone would not solve the company's problems and repeatedly demanded the minister's departure. ▪️ April 17. In a report on a TV24 interview, Krištopans sharply criticised the aircraft purchase strategy implemented by Gausa and supported his dismissal. He stressed that he had been expressing this critical position for several years. 2026 ▪️ April 29. On TV3's "900 sekundes", Šlesers warned that airBaltic is on the brink of bankruptcy and demanded an urgent audit of aircraft leasing agreements. He expressed suspicions of money being embezzled through these agreements and called for bringing in a strategic partner with funding so that taxpayers no longer have to invest money. ▪️ August 3. On LTV's "Rīta Panorāma", Šlesers repeated his assessment that airBaltic has gone bankrupt and accused the public of being misled about the company's true situation. ▪️ September 3. Šlesers criticised the 25% annual interest rate on airBaltic's planned financing, questioning whether such a loan can be repaid: "In what legal business is it possible to repay that?"