Latvian Political Monitor

Do you really not understand? Then I'll explain. Latvian Post is one of the most expensive expense items in the Saeima election campaign. The Progressives have, most likely, already paid for it a second time with your taxes. We have printed materials, but we distribute them ourselves. We have been in almost all regions of Latvia. Please send your address and we'll see how to include it in the route. Thank you for your attention and instructions on running campaigns.

Ukraine will not be intimidated or isolated! This was once again clearly demonstrated by the Yalta European Strategy, or @yes_ukraine, conference in Kyiv, where friends and partners of Ukraine from many countries around the world gathered in person. 🤝 This year's conference theme – “Peace Through Strength NOW” – precisely describes the main task of the moment: Ukraine needs strength to stop Russia and achieve a just and lasting peace. I am often asked why I travel to Ukraine during the war. My answer does not change – it is important for me to stand alongside not only in words and not only from a safe distance. To meet in person the people who live through this war every day, to hear what they need, and to understand what Latvia can do even more and faster. This visit also included heartfelt reunions with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances, open discussions with Ukraine's Minister of Justice Denys Maslov, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk, members of parliament, representatives of the justice system, and non-governmental organizations. With many of them, over the years, not only professional cooperation but also genuine human trust has developed. In Kyiv, air raid alerts are part of daily life, and war fatigue is felt. But even stronger is Ukrainians' determination not to give up and to continue the fight against obscurantism. They defend not only their own country but the freedom and security of Europe. Therefore, while Ukraine fights, Latvia must stand ready to act. ℹ️ YES is one of the most significant international forums on Ukraine's future in Europe. It unites politicians, diplomats, entrepreneurs, soldiers, civil society representatives, and experts to strengthen international support for Ukraine and agree on practical action.

The minister wants to expel from the country those who tortured a swan 0 74

@hellikopters @andrislov Yes, that's right. So far only in the industrial sector, also aviation, from 2027 it will also be for the wheel.

@KristopansVilis I had heard such a narrative, but considered it nonsense. And I have expressed my position more than once. What other 'table' is there, if it has been publicly stated that little depends on the state? Let everyone drill their own table, it is not for me.

From the perspective of comparing election models, Uzulnieks' case is not particularly interesting — driving with 3 per mil is a criminal offense, and long-term work in parliament is not in store for him even if elected. However, given that there are quite a few discussions online about what impact this scandal will have on the election results, I will use the opportunity to point out differences between Latvia's current election system and the Irish model proposed by 'We Change the Rules' — precisely in the context of politicians getting caught up in scandals. In short — the Irish model offers a much more humane, democratic, and fairer dynamic for all involved parties than the party list system. I will remind that 'We Change the Rules' proposes to change the voting procedure to one where you vote for specific people, not party lists. In the single transferable vote model (STV; a proportional election system), which we simply call the Irish model, a small number of candidates are elected in each constituency (ideally 3-5, no more than 7). Candidates from different parties and independents appear on a single list for the voter. The voter's task is to rank them in order of preference. The Irish model is more suitable for a society of mortal and sinful people, where everyone who has tried to do something will sooner or later get involved in bigger or smaller scandals. I remind that here 'scandal' does not mean criminal offenses. We are talking about lighter offenses that, whether justifiably or not, provoke a sharp reaction in society. In the current election system, where you can only run from a party list, any scandal can end a candidate's political career even if society is ready to forgive them or the scandal is not viewed as negatively overall as it is by, say, the loudest opinion leaders or media. To run for the Saeima, a candidate must first convince some sufficiently popular party that he will give the party more than he will take. The parties' reluctance towards potentially scandalous candidates is understandable, because not specific people are elected to the Saeima. It is the list that is elected. Each individual candidate can undermine trust in the other candidates. The Irish model does not suffer from this problem. The voter can support the scandalous candidate's party colleagues without in any way boosting the unfortunate bird's chances. Assuming that parties decide not to allow a person of dubious reputation to run from their ranks, in Ireland a politician always has the option to run as an independent. The people then have the opportunity to show in the ballot that they truly support this politician, for example after regret or explanation of the offense. After all, what are elections if not an opportunity to verify whether candidates have a popular mandate. In Latvia, the path to parliament and public trust is only through parties, only together with the sum of other people's reputations on one list. Some defender of the current system may say that pluses and minuses solve the problem. That is not entirely true. If on October 3 you take the list that contains the name of a person of dubious reputation and put a 'cross-out' mark next to it, you will still have voted for his entry into the Saeima. How? — Very simple. All this bird needs is 1) that his list gets into the Saeima, 2) to be more marked with pluses than his list colleagues. And that is not as difficult to achieve as it might seem. Imagine that all the sharp condemners decide not to vote for that list in this constituency. Among voters, a fairly large proportion may remain exactly the scapegoat's loyal supporters. And what do they do? They put pluses next to him. It does not matter how unpopular the list turns out to be in that constituency. The main thing is how popular the list is across Latvia, and what is the candidate's position within his own list. The big scapegoat can also be elected as the first and only one from his list. One interesting scenario in which the Irish model is many times more humane is when a parliament deputy gets into a scandal during the parliament's term. Suppose a people's representative who has proven himself well at work gets into a personal life scandal. In the Irish model, he has no problem stepping down and checking whether society still trusts him. In Ireland, there is no such thing as 'the next one behind the line' who would enter parliament if one of the elected members resigns, is convicted, or dies. In the Irish model, there are only elected and non-elected. Even among the elected, it is not correct to talk about who is the most popular. The algorithm only determines who is elected and who is not. Even if mathematically it is possible to determine the mechanism to identify the 'next one', it may not be from the party of the deputy who lost their mandate. But the most interesting thing is that, unless there is a relatively short time left until the next elections, by-elections are held in the Irish model to fill the mandate — elections specifically for the seat that has become vacant. Each seat is from a specific constituency, so by-elections only concern voters in that particular constituency. Thus, in the Irish model, a candidate who got into a scandal can immediately run again after stepping down. In old-school thinking, this may seem strange to some, but in reality such a mechanism is exactly what fosters a sense of political responsibility in society. As has been written often in this column, in a society where mistakes are not allowed, no one will admit mistakes. Do not expect frankness or apologies from politicians in Latvia if the result can only be an even greater punishment than for concealing and hiding mistakes. The possibility for a deputy to verify that they still enjoy public trust is precisely what encourages people's representatives to act responsibly. 'We Change the Rules' — list No. 2. @partijaMMN

🎙️On Latvijas Radio's program "Krustpunktā," the NEW UNITY prime ministerial candidate Arvils Ašeradens is visiting. 🗣️A conversation about Latvia's development, economy, security, and current political issues. ▶️Watch the program recording: https://t.co/ja8eEL0hqN

Uzulnieks apologizes for driving under the influence and emphasizes the seriousness of the incident.

An 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.

How can one participate in debates and then show a huge alcohol concentration? Narcologist on Uzulnieks' 3.5 per mille (3)

On Wednesday, potentially 1,271 regional bus trips will not be operated.

When it goes bankrupt, the state won't get its money. Write it down somewhere, it might come in handy in life.

What a joker. https://t.co/e7ZNXZnP70

100 thousand Uzbeks left Russia in two weeks - thousands will try to reach Latvia to work in construction and other fields, taking jobs and bread from Latvians. President Edgars Rinkēvičs in 2022 in Tashkent opened the gates to Islamists to our land. Unforgivable. https://t.co/CU2bK7bZFy