Latvian Political Monitor

Kulbergs promises to put state interests above personal ones.

@ivchix Our own people. That is distinctly characteristic of us Latvians, unfortunately. Less so for Russians, I have noticed before—look at SV's results, for instance. There it is noticeably less, only as many as the Bremans. https://t.co/jV2JnBSv8W

There is no drama here. I have a good relationship with Česlavs, we have discussed education a lot. Mostly on the same wavelength. At the time he was also an excellent principal at the school where the children go, all due respect. What I saw in the budget expenditure review group is a separate topic. The control of how funding is used is below any criticism. And when all ministries buckled down and brought savings, when defense spending needed to be raised to 5%, the Ministry of Education and Science put its feet up on the table and got a free pass. That is not good, not good at all.

In the Saeima elections, "Suverēnā vara/Apvienība Jaunlatvieši" has managed to significantly grow its influence.

It is structured into sections. There are reforms (merging institutions with overlapping functions, for example), then there are 'topics', essentially cutting functions or reducing funding, and also a tax section — how much can be gained from changing tax rates. A full menu, like in a restaurant. What actually comes of it depends very much on the cooks. Just like in a restaurant.

US embassy staff spotted at 'Nothing Personal' pre-election event of Šlesers' party https://t.co/rWg7ab5zHM

Thank you. And a little about the election tram. Thank you to everyone who gave me a plus. Those are personal. I didn't expect it, to be honest. Neither here nor privately did I promise anyone manna from heaven, which would be politically logical. That's what 'everyone' does. In a way, it turns out I am apolitical; for years I have been explaining various things, not always with the grain, because not everything is as one would wish. My delivery is often sharp and always direct. That annoys quite a few people, I understand. Among my relatives there are some young people, for example, who very much dislike that I didn't promise them a Cafe Latte. They voted for Lenin's children, progress and free happiness. So I was surprised by those almost 4,000 pluses, but I suppose that is respect for the content. Thank you for that! And now about the tram. Politics shows people as they are. There is no need to be ashamed of that, but look at the minuses in the election results. Practically everyone has ~3,000 minuses there. Very similar for everyone? Yes, that is the tram. For publicly known people one can still understand, and for me one can understand completely, because I annoy many. Then there are a few who have done nothing in this Saeima, absolutely nothing; they have been rolled down to the bottom of the list with more substantial minuses. One could understand that, but I was nevertheless surprised - since when are do-nothings, genuinely nice people, being striked? Strange, very strange, I really did not expect this, and that is not sarcasm. But. Where do those typical 3+ thousand minuses come from for such people, and for many whom 'nobody' knows? What for? There is nothing to hate. The answer is that they are their own people. That craving to crawl into the Saeima is so dramatic that relatives and friends are asked to strike everyone, and to give pluses only to the aspirant himself. And that is where the ballast comes from, those 3000+ strikes for each and every one. Only the prime minister does not have them, because he is the tram driver; there is no point in cancelling him, otherwise the tram will run off the rails. But to my followers, thanks again. I greatly appreciate the credit of trust. And the credit will have to be repaid, I am aware of that and I don't think otherwise. That is responsibility. Thanks also to @Apvienotais_ and personally @AndrisKulbergs for the opportunity to run in these elections. I was not and do not intend to be a burden to you. There are only 5 people on the Riga list who have more pluses than minuses. Have a nice day, everyone, and soon I'll go to work. While celebrations continue and some have election hangovers, the budget and many many everyday things do not sleep. Now only the public performance part begins; intensive work will continue until the new coalition is formed and the tram of dividing up positions is finished. That's how it is. https://t.co/AnkmBCD308

He points out that after the elections the initiative is on the side of the

"Mēs mainām noteikumus" will use the state funding it received to try to get it revoked.

After the defeat of "Stabilitātei!" in the elections, Rosļikovs will nevertheless stay in Belarus.

Siliņa admits that the result of 'Jaunā vienotība' in the elections would have been better if it had not entered Kulbergs' government

Economic breakthrough and fewer ministries: Kulbergs names the first tasks in the new Saeima

The cancelers' frog, of course, would want it to be different. https://t.co/1W3T4AxKnQ

That is for several reasons. Budget revenues are not just taxes; they also include so-called foreign aid, i.e. EU funds. They are disproportionately large this year, which is why budget revenues have grown by 10%, although taxes are growing basically in line with inflation (2% real growth, 3-4% inflation, around 5.5% in total). Well, and in the next 4 years, the theft from the second pension pillar (1% of the social tax) ends, as does the bank windfall tax (solidarity payment).

@NaurisVizulis @AndrisKulbergs 51 votes (together with only NA) would nevertheless be too fragile a majority for long-term work.