A High Degree of Cynicism - the informational campaign for next year's budget, which cost the state more than 100,000 euros, has come under sharp criticism.
Not only the opposition of the Saeima but also the Latvian Confederation of Employers express their bewilderment at what has recently been noticeable on the radio, in the press, on the internet, and in urban environments.
"A Budget for a Safe Future" - various types of informational materials related to next year's budget were placed not only on the radio but also, for example, in national and regional press. In newspapers, magazines, and on portals, one could notice a sort of positivist campaign regarding next year's budget. The Ministry of Finance spent over 100,000 euros on all this informational activity this year.
The Latvian Confederation of Employers does not hide its outrage, having fought almost the entire year both with and against the government for budget savings. This year, society has already paid increased attention to the budget. The campaign has a saccharine tone.
"Should state funds really be spent on this kind of budget clarification or advertising?" asks the Confederation's Director General Kaspars Gorkšs. The opposition also criticizes the campaign, considering it an unnecessary luxury at a time when savings are needed, and the government is living beyond its means; in fact, it is even a kind of self-promotion for the coalition. A request has been prepared for the Minister of Finance.
"We call on society to participate in charity, while we ourselves are throwing money away... In such circumstances, there should be at least a little common sense," notes the leader of the opposition faction "United List."
For its part, the Ministry of Finance is confident in the necessity of such an informational campaign. The budget is a crucial law, and the government must strategically and purposefully inform about it alongside what journalists report. Everything is based on numbers and data. This advertisement talks about various advantages but does not mention the large budget deficit and the fact that the debt will grow. At the end of the commercial, a happy child is shown.
When asked whether negative aspects of the budget should also be discussed, Ministry of Finance representative Alexis Yarokis replied: "With this communication, we invite people, for example, to visit the portal. On the Ministry of Finance's website, there is a section about the year 2026."
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