Latvian Political Monitor

Valuable meeting with @EBRD President @OdileRenaud. The presence of EBRD leaders and shareholders in Riga, holding the meeting right here, is a direct confirmation to businesses worldwide that Latvia has a safe environment for investment. https://t.co/bmp2Q486Wd

LATVIA'S COLONIAL ADMINISTRATIONnState independence rests on three pillars – border control (registration of people, restriction of immigration), national currency, independent legislation that defends and represents the nation's interests. We have lost the first due to the European Migration Pact – it sets quotas for migrants to be admitted (Lithuanians, Estonians and Poles won't have them), we replaced the second with the euro (there are gains and losses), but legal norms are being created outside Latvia's borders, handing this initiative to institutions unwanted by Latvian citizens. Once again, the Saeima demonstrates that Latvian citizens are comparable to serfs, who are to be handed over to the courts of the gentry for unjust punishment.nnThe Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee has prepared the draft law 'On the International Obligations of the Republic of Latvia regarding the Extradition of Latvian Citizens to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. This law will stipulate that a Latvian citizen can be extradited to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for criminal prosecution, trial and execution of sentence. Of course, the guilty must receive punishment, undoubtedly. However, the deputies have not taken into account the context – the political situation in Britain is so far left that, although a Western country, it is also the most active restrictor of freedom of speech.nnBecause of the peculiar 'Communications Act 2003' and 'Malicious Communications Act 1988', British courts can criminally punish for 'grossly offensive', 'indecent', 'obscene' or 'menacing' language, i.e. grossly offensive, indecent, threatening language that may cause anxiety or emotional distress. These legal terms are so vague that they are read as a prohibition on criticising government policy. The British have been given 'correct-speech' boundaries that derive from political stance. Therefore, for example, due to criticism of immigration carried out on social networks, one could be convicted and serve a sentence related to deprivation of liberty – imprisonment.nnThe author of Animal Farm, a Briton, G. Orwell has an excellent quote: 'If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.' In Britain this is forgotten, so in 2023 the police detained 12,183 people for their comments written on the internet (compared to Russia with approximately 400 detainees). But Article 100 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia states: 'Everyone has the right to freedom of speech, which includes the right to freely obtain, retain and disseminate information, to express one's views. Censorship is prohibited.'nnUnfortunately, this Saeima does not fulfil the Constitution and does not care about the legal and physical safety of its citizens. It is ready to hand over its inhabitants to another country to punish them for their political, ideological or religious views. The most painful thing is that a Latvian citizen has no one to complain to, because such absurdity is implemented by our state power. This is a dystopia.nnMore about the British. Recently in Southampton, an Indian Sikh – Vikrum Digva – stabbed a young man of Polish origin, Henry Novak, with a 20 cm long knife. The police arrived at the scene and detained the boy, because the Sikh accused him of racism, casting himself in the role of victim. The boy asked for help eight times, saying he could not breathe. Due to ignorance he died during detention, but the Sikh was released. Such, you see, is the British understanding of justice. It seems that the Saeima's too.nnI support the extradition of Latvian citizens to other countries only in the case of serious and especially serious crimes. On the other hand, punishing for freedom of speech or opinion is inadmissible. It should be added that the extradition law was in force until Brexit, but I do not see the need to adopt such a law in its previous wording again, when the political context threatens the possibilities of Latvian citizens to the rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

Time for @MarisKucinskis and @AndrisKulbergs to step out of the opposition populism slippers. KEM has more functions than some old ministry, and climate is the smallest % we addressed in EU energy and environment. Of course, I got firewood and woodchips recognized as renewable resources, but Latvia still has a lot of work in energy.

@n_karklinz The tariff for households will not increase🤷

PRO and LPV agree to defend the Russian language. https://t.co/OJFFO3OwCo https://t.co/zoFDbiuIkn

In A. Kulbergs' government declaration, there is an agreement on centralized management of state capital companies. Today in the Saeima, the vote on the obligation for the government to prepare a centralization proposal was rejected. It is already becoming difficult to understand what the coalition's true positions are.

❌🚘🚙 The number of parking spaces in Grīziņkalns has been reduced by almost 70%, disregarding the needs of residents! 🗣️ In my opinion, the municipality should have surveyed residents' opinions before making such a decision and made a data-based decision. 💬 What are your thoughts? Write! ⤵️ https://t.co/jP05j007Ua

@IngaDreimane LVM already has no investment projects for these 130M. The money simply sits in accounts.

Today we heard E. Korčagins' report on 2025. I remember the times when it felt that @VKontrole was created and exists only because the Constitution provides for it. Now its audits and recommendations increasingly become the basis for real changes in public administration.

As expected - the conservative coalition today not only supports quick loans, plans to limit the editorial independence of the public media, but also rejects the proposal to include 130 million in the state budget. These are funds that sit idly in LVM accounts. They belong to the public.

Pūce gives advice to Kulbergs: Let the prime minister check the drawers of his cabinet...

Henriks Danusēvičs: From July, several products will be cheaper: chicken, bread, eggs

In recent years, we have increased responsibility for serious road traffic violations, including aggressive driving and failing to comply with a demand to stop a vehicle. However, there will always be offenders who think they won't be caught.