"Democracy is Under Attack": Manabalss Also Wants Funding from the Latvian Budget 0 97

The platform Manabalss.lv calls on the Saeima to ensure a permanent funding mechanism for its activities as a state order for performing an important function for society, representatives of Manabalss.lv told the LETA agency.

The public initiative platform, which has been operating for almost 15 years, has recently faced financial difficulties. Although donations have somewhat improved the situation in recent months, the existence of the platform is still under threat, prompting its representatives to urge the Saeima to develop a permanent funding mechanism for Manabalss.lv as part of the digital democracy infrastructure.

"Funding should be provided as a state order for performing an important public function, similar to public media, while maintaining full operational and editorial independence. This will ensure a safe and reliable system for publishing initiatives and collecting signatures, independent evaluation of initiatives, and equal access for all citizens. It will also allow people to retain the ability to influence political processes between elections, strengthen the foundations of digital democracy, and help Latvia remain a leader in democratic innovations," stated Manabalss.lv.

As representatives of the platform note, the important role of Manabalss.lv has become particularly evident in recent weeks when the question of Latvia's possible withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention was raised. Within a few days, about 100,000 people expressed their position by signing several initiatives, and this had real consequences. This case proved that Manabalss.lv is a fast and reliable mechanism that allows the public to directly influence the political agenda.

"Today, Latvian democracy is under attack - by narratives, ideas, hybrid attacks, and the threat of military invasion," noted the head of the organization, Imants Breidaks. In his opinion, if the Manabalss.lv platform ceases to exist, everyone will feel it. "Citizens will no longer be able to express their ideas, and then we will all be left with only elections to influence political processes once every four years," he said.

The team at Manabalss.lv notes that since its founding in 2011, more than 140 initiatives have been submitted to the Saeima through the platform, 83 of which have become laws.

On the platform itself, a signature collection has begun for a parliamentary appeal to develop a permanent funding mechanism for Manabalss.lv.