Latvian Political Monitor

Together with the @ViviVilciens board, tomorrow I will meet with the management of Škoda Vagonka to demand an explanation about the identified defects and clear next steps for their remedy within the warranty. Minor glitches are understandable, but prolonged waiting by passengers in an unheated train without timely information about a possible cancellation of the trip is unacceptable.

🇱🇻🤝🇱🇹 https://t.co/ETgOs5bzld

Everything is going according to plan to open the new Salacgrīva bridge at the end of 2025. Today the long-awaited procurement has finally been announced, so that construction work could begin already in spring. 1. Traffic will not be stopped at any point, as a temporary bridge will be installed. 2. LVC has estimated the reconstruction costs at €15.1 million (excluding VAT). 3. In mid-January we will find out whether the Limbaži municipality will receive co-financing from the European Union's Military Mobility Fund for the bridge reconstruction. 4. If EU funding is not granted, we will take the bridge into state ownership and cover the costs from the state budget. For me this is a matter of principle - if a municipality cannot cope alone with such a critically important infrastructure object, the state must get involved. Thanks to @LVceli specialists for such prompt work!

The new electric train order did not include a requirement for bike racks. I have found funding to fix this historical mistake. All 32 trains will have bike racks.

We would save 20 lives a year if the average speed on roads decreased by just 2 km/h. Politicians must also be able to make unpopular decisions, and the truth is this – speeding kills. More frequent and harsher penalties save lives. Unfortunately, the Saeima Legal Affairs Committee did not agree to this today. The @Sat_Min proposal was to apply a warning for exceeding the permitted speed up to 5 km/h. And for exceeding by 5–10 km/h, a fine of up to 10 euros. I want the committee to explain to the public – what exactly is radical here? Research shows that it is not necessarily the size of the fine but the frequency that changes driver behavior on the road. Frequent small fines are annoying, and that is why they work. I understand that no technology can perfectly measure speed and that there will always be edge cases where someone is unfairly fined 10 euros. But this is yet another case where the state is stuck in inactivity because it considers a perfect solution more important than one that at least works and is real. Even a 10 km/h difference can be a matter of life and death. I urge the committee to open a 7th grade physics textbook and assess how much the speed difference affects the kinetic energy of a two-ton body. We have already allocated funds to triple the number of average speed radars by 2025. We see that their presence reduces the number of injured in road accidents by as much as 64%, and broader application of fines would only improve this statistic. I also do not accept evasion of responsibility by saying 'we cannot just punish.' Yes, we will also invest in road safety infrastructure and move towards Vision Zero. Both of these things can be done at the same time. Literally every day I receive news of a traffic accident where someone has died. The situation has not improved for years. We have no time for legal perfectionism.

I support the idea of banning the import of blood-soaked grain. We must stand up for choices that strengthen Ukraine, not Russia. Also for choices that are economically painful in the short term, but morally right and far-sighted. Latvia can go this path alone, but I call on all of Europe, especially the other Baltic and Nordic countries, to show solidarity, making the ban as effective as possible. At the same time, it is important to ensure uninterrupted transit of Ukrainian grain in the European Union. I have always been critical of Latvia's railway's long-term dependence on low value-added Russian transit cargo. All is not lost yet – it is high time to reorient towards the West.

I have already emphasized this countless times, but I will say it again - Riga is an integral part of Rail Baltica. I will not support any scenario in which Rail Baltica is not connected to Riga.

According to the information we have, this morning on the route Riga (07.40) - Jelgava (08.27) the train movement control dispatcher at @VAS_LDz made an error by directing the electric train onto a track without voltage. On this section, half of the contact network has been de-energized due to network modernization. The nearest station “Dalbe” platform was nearby and visible from the driver’s cab, so the driver allowed the train to roll toward the station rather than braking sharply. The train stopped 200 meters before the station, and the choice was made not to wait for a bus on site, but to instruct passengers to walk to the station. A specially assigned bus would have arrived for the passengers several hours later than a new train. Where is the problem? (1) It is dangerous and unacceptable to make passengers move such a distance along the tracks. (2) The operating algorithm for dealing with such situations is not good enough. We experienced this already during last month’s storm. (3) Human errors must be prevented before they happen – with additional mechanisms for trip management, especially during maintenance work. (4) In emergency situations, passengers should not have to wait for a bus for hours. The causes of the problems lie in long-term underinvestment in the basic railway infrastructure. Instead of investing in modern traffic management systems, electrical network modernization and passenger station infrastructure, funds have historically been diverted to infrastructure serving transit freight. We also see significant shortcomings in the railway sector’s governance model, technology and crisis management. That is why I ask not to personally blame the employees of @VAS_LDz and @PVilcien. I have conveyed to the management of both companies that such violations of passenger safety must not recur. Here the problems are clearly visible, and solutions are already known. We cannot change an archaic system overnight, but we will work to achieve the modernization of the sector. On behalf of the industry, I apologize to the passengers for the inconvenience. Improving the quality of public passenger transport is and will remain one of our main priorities.

I am happy to announce that permission has been received to put the new electric trains on the market! The first trip with passengers is planned already in December - more information soon😉. Thanks to the State Railway Technical Inspection, @PVilciens, @SkodaGroupEN and everyone else for the work! 🇱🇻 https://t.co/rUaafGEFa3

G. Astra predicted that the time of the reds would one day dissipate like an evil nightmare. Such a short time has passed, and the “red heart voice” already reigns again in Latvia. The same hatred of nationalism, the same indifference to the Latvian language and culture. Really “only the beginning” or the final agony of the red nightmare? https://t.co/wl0RxByhrz

While in opposition, ZZS and PRO fervently 'fought' for a VAT reduction on food products typical of Latvia. Once in coalition, when there is an opportunity to do so, they not only do not reduce, but raise VAT. That's exactly how simple it is. An unprincipled coalition.

NA submitted proposals to the Saeima for amendments to the Labour Law to protect Latvian youth from discrimination in the labour market due to not knowing the Russian language. The Saeima today supported further advancement of the amendments for review in the committee. https://t.co/Ua5vrAi0sD

@EmilsJakrins @Apvienotais_ @Jauna_Vienotiba Three years conditionally :)

@EmilsJakrins @Apvienotais_ @Jauna_Vienotiba Let's be precise! What makes one reassess is the difference between a deputy's and a parliamentary secretary's salary... 😊