The People Are Going for a Record! 15,000 Signatures in Less Than a Day 0 1159

As previously reported, the Central Election Commission agreed to start collecting signatures for a referendum on the right of residents of Latvia to access their savings in the second pension level before retirement. The initiative to collect signatures belongs to the party "Latvia First." By midnight, the website latvia.lv had already provided the opportunity to sign electronically in support of the referendum on this issue. By that time, more than 15,000 signatures from citizens of Latvia had been collected - a record for the number of signatures gathered in less than a day! If the pace does not slow down, it will be quite realistic to collect the minimum necessary 154,000 signatures for holding the referendum!

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arvils Ašeradens ("New Unity"), concerned about the ongoing discussion regarding the withdrawal of savings from the second pension level, urged... at least not to make decisions on this matter until after the elections.

"Let me touch a little on the use of the second pension level. A political process has begun. I understand it. Yes, it has already been done in Lithuania and Estonia. In conversations with the finance ministers of Estonia and Lithuania, they do not consider this process a good one. Everything that happened means that these funds have gone more to daily consumption and less to investments. But what has it resulted in? In both countries, inflation has risen, and there has simply been an increase in the prices of goods and services. And I believe that this could be a case where Latvia could differ from both neighbors.

And we could act completely differently. And believe me, they would appreciate it as a smart move.

So I support at least the idea that such decisions regarding fundamental changes in Latvia's pension system should be made only after the elections to this Saeima, not now. Right now, we are not acting with a cool head," Arvils Ašeradens stated today from the podium of the Saeima.