In an Atmosphere of Widespread Distrust: The Saeima Will Again Discuss the Resignation and the 'Distribution' of Pension Savings 0 6

The reasons remain the same - the 'wonderful' management of the Rail Baltica project and the dire financial situation in the national airline airBaltic. Moreover, the Minister of Transport is facing significant problems with organizing regular passenger transport in the regions...

The opposition, which initiated this resignation proposal, is counting on a 'friendly' atmosphere within the ruling coalition. Specifically, the 'green farmers' have long wanted to 'settle scores' with the 'progressives,' who are doing their utmost to politically 'bury' the Minister of Agriculture and one of the leaders of the Union of Greens and Farmers, Armands Krauze - let us recall that the 'progressives' filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office regarding the assistance provided to timber companies in the form of reduced purchase prices for timber. However, the hopes of the opposition will not come to fruition this Thursday - the 'green farmers' are not yet (or already) ready to bring down Silin's government. In any case, heated debates on the situation in the transport sector are guaranteed, and what more could be needed seven months before the elections!

Also on the agenda are two initiatives from the opposition... regarding the 'distribution' of savings in the second pension level. Recall that a week ago, the first trial balloon was launched by the 'Latvia First' faction, which proposed giving residents the right to choose - either to withdraw all their savings from the second pension level, or to withdraw only part of the savings, or not to touch these savings at all until retirement. However, the parliamentary majority refused even to pass this initiative to the committee, meaning they refused to even start parliamentary discussions.

And now the same 'Latvia First' faction has made a second attempt - this time proposing to allow the withdrawal of savings from the second pension level for specific purposes: for medical treatment (surgery, other medical procedures, medications), as well as for debt repayment and the purchase of a single dwelling.

If this initiative is rejected, which is certain, then soon the same faction will propose a third, and then a fourth and fifth set of amendments, all of which will boil down to the same thing - the right of residents to decide the fate of their savings themselves.

The authors of the second bill on the same topic are deputies from the opposition National Alliance. They, however, believe it is possible to 'give' savings from the second pension level only if the money is needed for the treatment (surgery) of the holder of those savings or their close relatives.

We dare to assume that both of these projects, if supported by the 'green farmers' (which is quite likely), will indeed be submitted to the Saeima committee, and thus we can expect a broad discussion on this topic.

Another initiative from the opposition, signed by deputies from the United List and 'Latvia First,' is doomed to failure - the majority of the Saeima is unlikely to support the proposal to instruct the government to prepare concrete solutions for reducing the excise tax and VAT rates on fuel, in order to lower or at least stabilize fuel prices. However, it cannot be ruled out that the government, after some time and without these 'recommendations' from the opposition, will be forced to lower the excise and VAT rates on fuel.