Latvian Political Monitor

Poll: Latvians have mixed views on breaking trade ties with Russia and Belarus

What is characteristic of this prime minister and this government - for NONE of the listed items is a date given when a decision will be made and when concrete actions will begin. NOTHING. https://t.co/Vd8D5r3F2C

In "Krustpunktā" they question election list leaders: "Suverēnā vara/Apvienība Jaunlatvieši" and "Mēs mainām noteikumus"

LIVE: 'Krustpunktā' interviews election list leaders. 'Suverēnā vara/Apvienība Jaunlatvieši' and 'Mēs mainām noteikumus'

Levits ended up in political advertising against his will

@1sttamendment @MyronLVa @Ps4251 @JankaPipars1 @Panzerkampfiets @SusurisMazais @Gaumigais_joks @grok @Progresivie For example. https://t.co/bKtncRNlqP

@ansiso1 I wouldn't be so sure about that. It's quite possible that she thinks everything isn't so clear-cut. That Russia had no choice, that the West provoked it, and the rest of the propaganda package spread by the Kremlin.

With Tom Berendsen, Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, we visited Terehova, where Latvia guards the Eastern border of the EU and #NATO 🇱🇻🇳🇱🇪🇺. We agreed to strengthen cooperation in defence, countering illegal migration, and enforcement of EU sanctions against Russia. https://t.co/UyRc3ILcPf

Day No. 72 in the prime minister's chair (Monday) — 🇷🇺 NO to grain; STOP to migration 🌾 NO TO RUSSIAN GRAIN The government is unanimous and determined — we will use all available tools to stop the flow of Russian grain through Latvia. ➖️ We will repeatedly increase tariffs/rail infrastructure fees for 🇷🇺 grain transport. They must be high enough to significantly cool the desire to bring Russian grain through Latvia. (our actions are limited by the need for coordination with the EU) ➖️ We are closely coordinating with 🇱🇹 Lithuania, 🇪🇪 Estonia and 🇺🇦 Ukraine to make it effective ➖️ Today I am in contact with the Baltic prime ministers to reach a unified position. ➖️ This is a joint government decision. Tomorrow we will move the matter to the Cabinet of Ministers. ➖️ We expect experts from 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 🇬🇧 the UK soon to jointly begin inspections of grain cargoes. Stolen grain from Ukraine will not pass through our ports! Specific tasks for ministries: 🚛 Ministry of Transport — prepare the relevant government decision and assess the possibility of reducing domestic freight tariffs for Latvian farmers during harvest. 🌾 Ministry of Agriculture — ensure grain inspections. 🌍 Ministry of Foreign Affairs — reach a unified Baltic position on this matter. 👮 Ministry of the Interior — if stolen Ukrainian grain is found, services must act immediately - action plan. ⚓ For Kozlovskis and Augulis — ensure that Latvian ports give priority to accepting 🇱🇻 Latvian grain. 🏥 HOSPITAL NETWORK REFORM We discussed this issue repeatedly in government. ➖️ The government has already made its decision. ZZS's demand to change it is not supportable. ➖️ We will discuss specific implementation details of the reform separately. ➖️ The matter was considered in a long and detailed meeting. A break was taken, an agreement was reached — at that time it was symbolically confirmed by the joint selfie of Valainis and Hosams. ➖️ The harsh State Audit Office report on the hospital network was available to all and served as one of the bases for the Cabinet's decision. ➖️ This reform is one of the priority works the health minister has done. 🎓 EDUCATION — CHANGES MUST BE THOUGHTFUL If asked about education reforms — my position is clear: there will be no rushed changes. ➖️ This week we will consider the matter in the Cabinet of Ministers. ➖️ Rules must be clear for students, parents, and teachers alike. ➖️ Indriksone has prepared the work and done her homework, but we must reach a compromise that suits teachers, students, and schools. ➖️ I will definitely include this work in her TOP 3 list of accomplishments if all coalition partners agree ➖️ Children must be given the opportunity to correct grades. We can all make mistakes, and everyone should have a chance to correct their error. 🧪 Science exam — I support it. Latvia needs many more specialists and workers in these sectors. From the next school year we support its introduction. ➖️ Reforms are needed, but they cannot be introduced at the beginning of the school year just because elections are approaching. ➖️ The assessment system also needs improvement, but it must be done thoughtfully and in a timely manner. 🛑 MIGRATION My position — much stricter order is needed on migration. ➖️ The report is planned to be considered by the government on 22 September. ➖️ The Ministry of the Interior must do its homework this week so the document can be properly considered by the government. 🙏 NEPAL DISASTER At the end of the day — a prayer service at Riga Cathedral for the Latvian residents affected by the Nepal disaster. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones. 🇱🇻🙏

🗣️ This morning was spent in an open conversation with journalist Guntars Gūtis. We talked about the Latvian judicial system, society's trust in the judiciary, and where in processes we can still give up on unnecessary administrative steps. We also discussed the high-profile court cases and why some cases drag on, the shortage of judges and generational change, as well as how to build better dialogue between courts, the bar, the prosecutor's office, and other institutions in the justice sector. ⚖️ A strong justice system is not just laws and court rulings. It is also the ability to talk to each other, hear problems, and jointly seek solutions. A longer conversation will soon be available in the newspaper “Diena” 🗞️

Yes. Indeed unprecedented. Usually in the first 100 days governments tried to do something as well. https://t.co/f2k7E9AsWo

In 1934, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed the Baltic Entente treaty. On paper – friendship and cooperation. In reality – only regular meetings of foreign ministers, without unified command, without common armament standards, even without a common command language in case of war. Twice, in 1934 and again in 1939, a real military alliance was offered. Both times all three governments rejected it, fearing to anger the big neighbour. That was a bad choice, whose consequences were foreseeable even then. That cooperation would not be possible with the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany as neighbours was clear to everyone. The only question was whether three small countries would face this reality and react to it together or each on its own. In the end, each country was on its own, because we could not agree among ourselves on a single thing – who would command the common forces and who would come to help first. In 1939–1940, each of the Baltic states signed a 'mutual assistance' treaty with the USSR. Three occupations followed, one after another. Today our geography has not changed and again a choice must be made. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this year signed a protocol of intent on the Baltic Military Mobility Zone – a unified border-crossing procedure for troops and coordinated procurement of Piorun and IRIS-T systems. That is a step in the right direction. But the lesson of 1934 is that declarations and good-intention theses do not replace a binding, automatic chain of command. First, mobility without automatic commitment is infrastructure without content. If the decision to provide help remains subject to each country's lengthy political deliberation at the moment an attack is already underway, we repeat the mistake of the 1930s – only with better roads. Second, NATO Article 5 is an alliance decision; it does not activate automatically. Every additional security guarantee in the region that does not depend on a broader alliance consensus is a gain. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania need their own mutual defence and assistance treaty that operates automatically, without a lengthy decision-making procedure. What in 1934 three foreign ministers did not dare to sign in military format, we must sign today. Third, such a treaty must provide for real capabilities. The Sēlija military training ground in Aizkraukle and Jēkabpils municipalities is being developed as an international military base. It must be connected with similar training grounds in Lithuania and Estonia into a unified, permanent training cycle – we should not repeat the mistake of the 1930s, when joint exercises happened once and were then forgotten. Fourth, interoperability is not only joint exercises – it is common armaments, common communications, and one command logic in a crisis. As long as the three countries buy different systems on different schedules, we are building three small armies, not one regional shield. What changes for Latvia and the Baltics? If a provocation starts in Narva or the Suwałki Gap, the decision to help neighbouring countries must be made today, not discussed after the fact. Commitments remain even after political leadership changes – that is precisely why a binding treaty is needed, not good-intention declarations. In 1934 we chose declarations where a unified chain of command was needed. We must not repeat that mistake. The Baltic states need their own mutual assistance and cooperation treaty – their own NATO Article 5, one that activates automatically. @AssemblyBaltic @Kaspars_Melnis_ @janisdombrava @RaimondsBrg

💬 The state and municipalities must have the ability to help people in situations when they have to leave their homes due to an accident. If home restoration objectively takes more than a year, we cannot allow a situation where a person is left without support. ⤵️ https://t.co/YGIdKwYkin