VIP lounges at airports, which political opponents accuse Prime Minister Evika Silina ("New Unity") of using, although to a much lesser extent, were also used by politicians from the opposition "United List" (OS) and the Union of Greens and Farmers (Saeima's Green Party), the LETA news agency has found.
In particular, on January 11, 2023, during a visit to Ukraine via Poland, co-chairman of the United List (OS) Edvards Smiltenš, who was then the Speaker of the Saeima, along with other individuals, including Rihards Kols (National Alliance), Raimonds Bergmanis (OS), Andris Sprūdžs ("Progressives"), and Jānis Skrastiņš ("New Unity"), used VIP airport services. The cost was 700 Polish zlotys per person, totaling 12,915 zlotys or about 3,042 euros excluding value-added tax (VAT).
Smiltenš explained to journalists that the use of the VIP lounge for the trip to Ukraine was due to security and logistical considerations. He noted that moving a large delegation, including security and special security units, fully equipped and armed, objectively requires faster and more controlled movement at airports.
Smiltenš also emphasized that the use of VIP services is not a matter of convenience, but a well-considered exception, appropriate only in special circumstances, and that such decisions are made in cooperation with protocol and security services.
By the way, let’s remember that this is the same Smiltenš who was running around the Freedom Monument shaking hands with everyone during the honoring of the Latvian hockey team... So, it turns out that near the Freedom Monument in Latvia it is safe, but in the airport in Poland it is already a threat?
And it is clear that not everything is known about our public servants:
In January 2024, Saeima Speaker Daiga Miērina (Saeima's Green Party) used the VIP lounge along with three accompanying persons during a visit to Ukraine via Poland.
The fee was 800 zlotys per person each way, and the total expenses amounted to 8,671.5 zlotys, or about 2,042 euros excluding VAT.
Miērina's advisor Paula Salmiņa stated that according to Latvian legislation, the President of Latvia, the Speaker of the Saeima, and the Prime Minister are protected persons.
This means that during foreign visits, the highest officials of the country are accompanied by one or more security service staff, often armed or with other special equipment, which requires special permits and checks at airports. As indicated by the State Chancellery, these checks are carried out in the VIP service area of the airports.
Salmiņa added that the visit to Ukraine in January 2024 was the last time the VIP area was used at the Polish airport. Currently, trips to Ukraine are organized by road transport.
LETA also has information that former Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis (OS), who represented the Saeima's Green Party at the time, used VIP lounges in several European airports in 2018. At that time, VIP services at Zurich Airport cost a total of 814.73 euros for arrival and departure, at Vienna Airport - 1,612.98 euros and 960 euros for two separate visits, and at Paris Airport - 191.72 euros.
It is likely that this list of public servants from Latvia could go on for quite a while...
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