"Witch Hunt" and "Blood Money": The Saeima Takes on Private Business Trading with Russia 0 15

"Instead of Helping Business — Publishing Lists"

The atmosphere in the parliament is becoming increasingly heated as the elections draw closer. This time, the deputies clashed over amendments that would require the Central Statistical Bureau to publish lists of Latvian companies that continue to export and/or import goods to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Part of the opposition considers the publication of such lists of "enemies of the people" to be absurd.

"I do not support such a witch hunt. Similar lists, we remember, were published during the COVID times - who is against vaccination here! In my opinion, the publication of such lists is completely unacceptable. And if you want to ban trade — then legislate to prohibit trading; if you want to ban crossing the border - close the borders. But to publish such lists with companies and people who are doing something that is not actually prohibited, in my opinion, is not good," said the head of the opposition party faction, Linda Liepiņa.

Her party mate Edmunds Zivtiņš added: "The state itself is not coping with its responsibilities — to help businesses find other markets — so entrepreneurs are forced to work in the eastern direction. And now we will 'tease' them for this by publishing in print media and probably on radio and television as well."

Opposing them was the head of the "New Unity" faction, Edmunds Jurēvics: "I urge you to recognize this bill as urgent and to adopt it in the final reading today. Yes, this should have been done earlier to remove all these legal nuances, reservations about why this is allowed, why this cannot be done. Let’s correct this mistake together! Let’s vote 'for' and achieve openness and accountability for such actions in trade with an aggressor country.

But the fact that the Šlesers faction does not support such things does not surprise me at all."

Cynical and Shameless: Announce the Full List

"We must create more favorable conditions for those who are loyal to Latvia, who have refused blood money. And stop favoring those who have not ceased to use blood money," explained his position National Alliance deputy Arturs Butāns.

He was supported by the head of the Foreign Affairs Commission from the same party, Ināra Mūrniece: "This list is necessary so that we as a society can make our own choices — including with our wallets, including when going to the store. And so that we have an understanding of who these companies are that still, in the fifth year of the war, find so much cynicism and shamelessness to trade with Russia."

"Judging by what is being said from the podium today, we have those who still have nostalgia for the times when Latvia was not free, independent, and we were under the Russian or Kremlin boot.

But, dear friends, I want to say that hope is not a plan, and nostalgia is not a strategy. And those times of cooperation with Russia will never return. Because Russia has fundamentally changed. And today you have a wonderful opportunity to show — do you care about the national interests of Latvia or do you still live in the hope that when the war in Ukraine, caused by Russia, ends, we will all forget. And everything will return to the old tracks," stated United List deputy Edvards Smiltenš.

There was no sensation — the Saeima immediately adopted the amendment in an urgent manner, in two readings, which will require the regular publication of a list of these wrong Latvian companies.