Supreme Court Chairman Aigars Strupišs is dissatisfied with how Prime Minister Evika Siliņa ("New Unity") communicates regarding the budget priorities for the next year and the refusal to include the Supreme Court's requests in the budget draft, LETA reports.
In an interview with the Latvian Television program "Morning Panorama," Strupišs stated that upon learning that the priorities of the Supreme Court, including those related to security issues, had not been approved, he requested clarification from Siliņa, but did not receive a response.
The budget bill was submitted to the Saeima without considering the priorities of the Supreme Court, and no discussion on this matter took place, as the court's additional budget request was not included in the documents. The Parliamentary Legal Bureau also sought clarification from the Prime Minister. Strupišs was surprised that Siliņa responded to the letter specifically to the Legal Bureau.
"We have not received a response to our request sent three weeks ago, but when the Legal Commission sends a request — a response comes, and we are indicated as the second addressee. The strangest thing is that we learn about this from the media, only after receiving the letter. If this is the way one state institution communicates with another, then it is unacceptable for us," emphasized the Chairman of the Supreme Court. He expects that state institutions can communicate directly, but this is not happening.
Strupišs also stated that he has not met with Siliņa in a working capacity even once, although he offered such an opportunity.
As previously reported, the Supreme Court expressed confusion regarding the attitude and rhetoric of the Cabinet of Ministers, which publicly disseminates information about allegedly excessive demands from the court regarding additional funding for security-related priorities, the court informed the LETA agency.
According to the Supreme Court, such rhetoric was spread by Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
The Supreme Court emphasizes that the Cabinet of Ministers, in response to the request of the Saeima Legal Commission, indicated that the process of preparing this budget differed from previous years due to the tense external geopolitical situation. At the same time, the Supreme Court points out that the procedure for preparing the budget project is enshrined in regulatory acts and cannot be changed for a specific situation without appropriate amendments to the laws.
"The Supreme Court does not exist separately from the state and society of Latvia," the court's statement emphasizes. The court added that it understands and supports the priority of security and defense in the state budget and expresses solidarity with other sectors that will have to reduce their activities and possibly development. Therefore, the court also understands and respects the fact that neither judges nor court staff, including judicial assistants, will receive additional funding for salaries in 2026.
