This week, the Saeima budget commission is expected to complete its work on amendments to parts of the bills that are part of the so-called budget package.
Savings Must Have Limits
The deputies will consider and are likely to approve in the second (final) reading an amendment to the Law on the Financing of Political Parties, which provides for... freezing the growth of subsidies to parties next year as well. It is noteworthy that the deputies of the opposition United List proposed to immediately decide to freeze the growth of subsidies to parties until 2030, while calculating the subsidies based on the minimum wage of 2023. However, it is unlikely that the majority of parliamentarians will approve such a radical step.
As stated in the annotation to the government version of the amendment, the "freeze" on the growth of subsidies to parties will save the state treasury 759,769 euros.
Interestingly, the 2026 budget does not provide for freezing the growth of salaries in public administration. The maximum the ruling party has decided is to freeze the growth of salaries for elected officials, such as the prime minister, ministers, the attorney general, the head of the anti-corruption bureau, and others. It is still unclear whether the deputies of the Saeima will join this initiative.
"Found" 22 Million
As for the hundreds of proposals from deputies submitted to the 2026 budget project, yesterday, when this material was already ready for printing, the government was reviewing these proposals. However, no surprises are expected here, as the coalition has already agreed to support exclusively the proposals... of the coalition deputies themselves. For this, they even "accidentally found" "extra" 22 million in the budget, which will be distributed among several proposals from coalition deputies. Specifically, 12 million will be spent on the proposals of the "green farmers" – funds will be allocated for the retraining of teachers, for the preservation of sacred heritage, for the creation of an emergency medical assistance point in the Indra municipality, and for supporting rural family doctors...
"New Unity" managed to "secure" 1.8 million for supporting victims of domestic violence.
The "Progressives" were not overlooked either – the Ministry of Transport, headed by Atis Švinka ("Progressives"), was allocated 8 million for redesigning Rail Baltica.
The found funds allowed to "calm" the situation in the coalition and even convinced the "green farmers" to abandon their "dangerous plan" to liquidate the Society Integration Fund. Instead, next year, a functional audit will be conducted in this department. However, it is clear that the Integration Fund will ultimately not be liquidated.
It is also quite obvious that the 2026 budget will be adopted, and thus the Siliņš government will remain in power – at least for some time.
