A loud interview reveals the backstage of power: under investigation for the 'Karins flights' case, former director of the State Chancellery Jānis Citskovskis talks about the 'two faces' of the ex-Prime Minister, his insatiable appetite for spending public funds, his role as a 'scapegoat,' and the inability of politicians to take responsibility, writes Otkrito.lv.
There Are 'Two Karins'
"Krišjānis Karins has two personalities: one public, and the other is seen by those who work with him daily. Compared to his predecessor Maris Kučinskis, with whom I also had the opportunity to work, Kučinskis was more of a manager.
The Palace in Mežotne - To Be Like Macron!
However, the flights are just the visible part of the iceberg, as Karins' desires were not limited to just air travel. "Maris Kučinskis, who was the Prime Minister before Karins, had no special demands and was very modest. With the arrival of Krišjānis Karins, demands for renovations, furniture replacements, and other improvements immediately arose. By the end of his premiership, Karins' office manager Patmalnieks even began searching for a suitable country residence for hosting foreign guests. The options mentioned included the palace in Mežotne and Dauderi in Riga. After all, you see, Karins had been to see Merkel and Macron, where the level of representation is different, and we felt ashamed of how we host foreign leaders."
A Feeling Like in the Mafia
"When I went to the Saeima to explain the necessity of these flights, I already felt signals that I might be made the scapegoat. It felt almost like in the mafia: as long as you are useful — everything is fine, but when the critical moment comes, paths diverge.
And then signals appear that no one intends to take responsibility — as if to say, these are political decisions, and the finances are the responsibility of the director of the State Chancellery. Then you realize that you will have to defend yourself.
