Jāzeps Baško writes at length, but precisely: My personal opinion is that in Latvia there are only two ideological parties. MMN as the right, the Progressives as the left. The rest are mostly ideological satellites of the Progressives, who simply are ashamed to admit it publicly. The Progressives openly say you can borrow as much as you want. And they are right. You really can borrow as long as they give. And when they no longer give, then the non-giver, as your owner, will have a moral obligation to take care of the enslaved. The left sees no problem in that, because in the end someone will take care of you. Private property and the freedom deriving from it are not any criterion. The others do not say that, but plan the costs in exactly the same way. Of course, parties can also be split into two camps along other indicators, but the parameter that determines Latvia's course toward bankruptcy, or the complete loss of sovereignty, is precisely whether the state plans (wrongly) to become rich, or allows people to create wealth. The Progressives will declare everything 'necessary' as a fundamental right deriving from the preamble of the Constitution. And Europe's centripetal forces will gladly implement these fantasies (for a fair fee). The others will declare nothing, only prove the rationality of every spending item. And the debt will keep growing. The Progressives' satellite parties call themselves right-wing, but when they go to the supermarket, affordability is not a criterion at all. They simply put in the basket everything that is 'necessary.' If you take items out of that basket one by one and evaluate their usefulness, each one individually will have a rational justification. And they will not be lying! But the total will not add up. What to do? Borrow, of course, what else! And stir up a cloud of dust with endless discussions about spending priorities. MMN
Latest posts
16850@guntarsv As a ministerial advisor, it is no longer appropriate for you to call everyone you disagree with communists. It may happen that at some point the finance minister will need the support of the Pro faction. But everyone knows well that contrary to your Twitter courage, in daily ministry work you are submissive to everything.
From@guntarsvAiva is absolutely right, I'm glad that she chairs the budget committee. It is not a wise idea to earmark any tax for any purpose, because then the Saeima effectively loses control over budget formation. Of course, any recipient will like it in all cases and seasons. For example, the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin tax. With such a tax you can live forever, the rent to the Mausoleum will not dry up. You could then do that with any sector's funding, divide all tax revenues per capita and then the Saeima would hardly be needed at all. The budget would be formed as a sum of fixed demands. And then we also could not implement political priorities, for example, increased funding for defense. The political process would lose its meaning. Then parliamentary democracy would become a sham. And yet. Why not step on a proven rake? No, but really - why not? If it is politically decided, then you are welcome. Greetings to Ilyich! Power in the dictatorship of the proletariat🤝
Open referenced post
A year ago, Šuvajevs and other 'Progresīvie' MPs voted against stripping Pjotrs Avens of Latvian citizenship, but now these same politicians are calling for an assessment of the legality of his acquisition of citizenship. What has changed over this year? #LatvijaLatviešiem
OTP Bank's decision to acquire Luminor is a vote of confidence for the Baltic region and Latvia. Now the state's task is to ensure that this investment translates into greater lending to Latvian businesses and families, strengthening economic growth and competition in the banking sector!
From@Jauna_Vienotiba🎓 Academic freedom is not an object of political control. Politicians' attempts to evaluate the content of individual scientific studies are unacceptable and pose a risk to academic freedom. In a democratic state, science must be free from political interference. Today, on July 20, at the coalition Cooperation Council meeting, New Unity will propose removing this issue from the agenda of the Saeima Public Expenditures and Audit Commission, defending the independence of scientists and Latvia's international competitiveness in research.
Open referenced post
I don't understand the argument about the lack of a financial source. My proposal provides for earmarking specific tax revenues for the sports fund starting next year. Otherwise the fund is an empty shell. The consequence, of course, will be less power for the Ministry of Finance over the budget. https://t.co/L5t0DgLN2d
🎾 Let's meet for conversations across Latvia. We will announce dates and places on our social media. 🗳️ On October 3rd, vote for the 11th list “Latvijas attīstībai”! https://t.co/nl544W6WPf
From@liene_gatereGreetings on International Chess Day! It is symbolic that exactly today the Hungarian prime minister invites international grandmaster Judit Polgár to become the president of Hungary. Polgár is the strongest woman in chess history and has achieved a FIDE ELO rating of 2735. https://t.co/8OxJt2MHiC
Open referenced post
From@uldisaugulisClearly and plainly - the EC's granting of emergency support to farmers affected by the Middle East crisis is not fair and therefore we did not support it - the distribution of support should have taken into account the real impact of the crisis on farmers, not the historical principles of direct payment distribution under the Common Agricultural Policy.
Open referenced post
During my government's tenure, we made a long-awaited decision to significantly increase state support for guardians and foster families, because it was important. The remuneration for performing guardian duties, which had not been changed since 1996 (!), has been increased from €54.07 to €298 per month. The child maintenance allowance for a guardian is now €390 or €468 per month depending on the child's age. Foster families also receive €298 for caring for one child instead of the previous €171, while specialized foster families' remuneration has been increased to €1560 per month. From July 1, 📍specialized foster families also have access to additional practical support – health and civil liability insurance, a respite service, and new support for families caring for children with behavioral or addiction problems. https://t.co/sBYzNg6neI This is not just a question of benefits. If a child is left without parental care, he or she must have the opportunity to grow up in a family environment – with relatives, a guardian, or a foster family. Limited financial resources must not be the reason why a family member cannot take on the care of a child. I am proud that this decades-awaited step was achieved precisely while forming last year's budget, agreeing on a priority – support for Latvian families and demographics. @Jauna_Vienotiba
🎓 Academic freedom is not an object of political control. Politicians' attempts to evaluate the content of individual scientific studies are unacceptable and pose a risk to academic freedom. In a democratic state, science must be free from political interference. Today, on July 20, at the coalition Cooperation Council meeting, New Unity will propose removing this issue from the agenda of the Saeima Public Expenditures and Audit Commission, defending the independence of scientists and Latvia's international competitiveness in research.
From@Jauna_VienotibaLatvia needs a strong national airline that ensures our country's international connectivity and develops on sustainable, economically sound principles.
Open referenced post
Clearly and plainly - the EC's granting of emergency support to farmers affected by the Middle East crisis is not fair and therefore we did not support it - the distribution of support should have taken into account the real impact of the crisis on farmers, not the historical principles of direct payment distribution under the Common Agricultural Policy.
From@suvajevsAn extremely important request from the Prosecutor General's Office to the government - to revoke decisions on support for wood processing companies. That is about 50 million that must be returned to LVM. How will Kulbergs' government act? In the interest of the public or narrow interests? https://t.co/74dTN7beDj
Open referenced post
An extremely important request from the Prosecutor General's Office to the government - to revoke decisions on support for wood processing companies. That is about 50 million that must be returned to LVM. How will Kulbergs' government act? In the interest of the public or narrow interests? https://t.co/74dTN7beDj
From@aseradensGood interview by @kriss_kairis with the @IMF news mission head in Latvia. Takeaways: To stabilize the budget situation, the government's first choice should be stimulating economic growth through a significant increase in productivity! Second choice - reducing public expenditures! https://t.co/IlYkIHqSV8
Open referenced post
From@atis_svinkaSome facts that must not be forgotten in this story. After the drone incidents experienced in Latgale in May, Defense Minister @AndrisSpruds himself ordered an internal investigation to assess the NBS response. The investigation found shortcomings, but no basis for imposing sanctions. Yet it was precisely these incidents that Evika Siliņa used to propose Sprūds' suspension, which in turn led to the collapse of the government itself. Later she admitted in an interview that it was just a pretext — the "right time" and a suitable event had been awaited. Andris Sprūds, as Defense Minister, purposefully strengthened Latvia's capabilities, based on the latest technologies and actively involving the local defense industry. The significance of this approach is vividly confirmed by the changes implemented by Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — building a modern technology-based army and reducing dependence on human manpower. Latvia invests 5% of GDP in defense. That is a huge amount of money and an equally huge responsibility for its smart use. Therefore, we must be prepared to review previously made procurement decisions if the war in Ukraine and the rapid development of military technology show that priorities have changed. https://t.co/c0iSpejROt
Open referenced post
From@Janis_VeideStart of @attistibai's Saeima campaign at Aizkraukle city festival. The strength is in tennis balls and an excellent team! https://t.co/U5K3rMi30E
Open referenced post
From@atis_svinkaSome facts that must not be forgotten in this story. After the drone incidents experienced in Latgale in May, Defense Minister @AndrisSpruds himself ordered an internal investigation to assess the NBS response. The investigation found shortcomings, but no basis for imposing sanctions. Yet it was precisely these incidents that Evika Siliņa used to propose Sprūds' suspension, which in turn led to the collapse of the government itself. Later she admitted in an interview that it was just a pretext — the "right time" and a suitable event had been awaited. Andris Sprūds, as Defense Minister, purposefully strengthened Latvia's capabilities, based on the latest technologies and actively involving the local defense industry. The significance of this approach is vividly confirmed by the changes implemented by Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — building a modern technology-based army and reducing dependence on human manpower. Latvia invests 5% of GDP in defense. That is a huge amount of money and an equally huge responsibility for its smart use. Therefore, we must be prepared to review previously made procurement decisions if the war in Ukraine and the rapid development of military technology show that priorities have changed. https://t.co/c0iSpejROt
Open referenced post
From@atis_svinkaSome facts that must not be forgotten in this story. After the drone incidents experienced in Latgale in May, Defense Minister @AndrisSpruds himself ordered an internal investigation to assess the NBS response. The investigation found shortcomings, but no basis for imposing sanctions. Yet it was precisely these incidents that Evika Siliņa used to propose Sprūds' suspension, which in turn led to the collapse of the government itself. Later she admitted in an interview that it was just a pretext — the "right time" and a suitable event had been awaited. Andris Sprūds, as Defense Minister, purposefully strengthened Latvia's capabilities, based on the latest technologies and actively involving the local defense industry. The significance of this approach is vividly confirmed by the changes implemented by Ukraine's Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — building a modern technology-based army and reducing dependence on human manpower. Latvia invests 5% of GDP in defense. That is a huge amount of money and an equally huge responsibility for its smart use. Therefore, we must be prepared to review previously made procurement decisions if the war in Ukraine and the rapid development of military technology show that priorities have changed. https://t.co/c0iSpejROt
Open referenced post