"Otherwise, it would have turned into an election spectacle," said Andris Kulbergs in response to journalists' questions about why he decided to hold the government meeting on the priorities of each minister in a closed format.
One-Man Show
In the end, the Prime Minister killed two birds with one stone: he prevented the working meeting from turning into an election campaign or even a show, and... drew all the attention to himself – at the conclusion of this meeting, only Kulbergs held the press briefing. If this continues, Kulbergs will single-handedly ensure the success of his political force in the elections. Provided, of course, that besides PR, he can also demonstrate some tangible political results.
As for the priorities, let’s recall that shortly after his appointment as Prime Minister, Kulbergs tasked each minister with naming three mega-tasks that could be accomplished in the short period allotted to the current 'temporary' government.
This government has been given time until November 3, that is, until the first meeting of the new Saeima. Yes, unless a miracle happens and a new government does not appear by November 3, Kulbergs' government will still work for another month or two, but it is unlikely that a caretaker government will be able to move mountains.
Therefore, Kulbergs and Co. need to urgently try to implement their priorities.
What tasks have the ministers of Kulbergs' government and the Prime Minister himself defined, and how feasible are they to implement in the allotted 4-5 months?
Fighting Drones and...
The non-partisan Minister of Defense, Raivis Melņis, included the implementation of Ukraine's experience, the development of the military industry, and the enhancement of the armed forces' capabilities in his list of three priorities.
It is clear that out of these three priorities, only the first point of the plan can realistically be accomplished in the short time allotted to Kulbergs' government. By the way, Ukrainian air defense consultants are already expected to arrive in Riga.
No Outsiders Allowed!
In the Ministry of the Interior, priority work will be related to developing a migration policy plan, measures to limit migration, civil defense, and strengthening the capacity of the internal affairs bodies.
At the same time, it is clear that the Minister of the Interior, Janis Dombrava, considering the political interests of the National Alliance and the proximity of the elections, will focus specifically on the first priority – attempts will be made to tighten migration policy (this concerns both legislation and practical issues).
Representatives of the National Alliance did not rule out that they would try to introduce amendments to the new Immigration Law in this Saeima, which was only adopted by the parliament last week. In particular, the National Alliance is dissatisfied with the article in the new law that allows obtaining a residence permit in exchange for investments in an alternative investment fund of 150,000 euros.
Elections Not Forgotten
Strengthening state economic security, as well as increasing the participation of our citizens abroad in elections, will be the focus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The main task of the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (MUARR) will be to ensure the preparation, verification, and implementation of digital solutions necessary for conducting elections to the Saeima.
In addition, it is planned to prepare a politically and legally justified proposal for special regulation of support for the Latgale region and the eastern border, as well as to form legal regulations that strengthen local democracy, ensuring the right of municipalities to make decisions about the development of their territory.
Dividing Personal Income Tax
Interestingly, neither MUARR nor the Ministry of Finance included... reforming the equalization fund among their priorities. Although just recently, the Minister of Finance, Maris Kučinskis, spoke about the desire to resolve this issue before the elections.
Let’s recall: this concerns reforming an unfair system where Riga and the municipalities of the Riga region must support the rest of Latvia at the expense of their taxpayers' money. The authors of the reform proposed, among other things, to change the formula and establish that part of the personal income tax goes to the municipality (city, region) where a person works. Then local administrations will be economically interested in developing the municipality, attracting investors for production and jobs, rather than just turning the municipality into a purely residential area!
But the heads of the Ministry of Finance and Smart Administration realized that such a large-scale reform is simply impossible to implement before the elections. The most that can be done is at least to start preparing for such a reform. As for the Ministry of Finance, its main priority is to propose a budget project for 2027 to the new Saeima with reduced administrative expenses.
In turn, the Ministry of Justice has committed to developing a compensation mechanism to cover damages caused by unmanned aerial vehicles, to promote the strengthening of the independence and capacity of the judiciary, and to develop legal frameworks to enhance cooperation with Ukraine.
Will Pension Money 'Warm' the Economy?
The Ministry of Economics intends to work on creating the Altum equity fund, continuing energy efficiency in apartment buildings, and reducing the administrative burden on small traders.
At the same time, the main priority is to attract second-pillar pension savings into the investment fund under the auspices of Altum. If we believe the Minister of Economics, Viktor Valainis, most banks have already agreed to invest these funds in the development of economic projects in Latvia! Could it really be that for the first time in history, pension money will start working for the development of the economy of our own country?! We will find out soon.
Heating, Rail Baltica, and airBaltic
In turn, the Ministry of Climate and Energy intends to work on the security of energy infrastructure, improving the business environment, and preparing for the heating season. As someone joked, the best priority for this ministry would be... preparing for the liquidation of this ministry! It is clear that at one time, Karins committed another folly (to put it mildly) by initiating the creation of such a ministry.
The main priorities of the Ministry of Transport will be developing a realistic model for further advancement of the Rail Baltica project, changing the strategy of airBaltic, stabilizing the airline's financial situation, and a plan of action to ensure regional public transport.
The Prime Minister himself intends to actively intervene in the affairs of this beleaguered ministry, understanding that without the Prime Minister's involvement, it will be difficult to save airBaltic and negotiate with Brussels for additional funding for Rail Baltica. Although, it seems, this task is beyond even the Prime Minister's capabilities...
Unified Registration and Basic Pensions
In the agriculture sector, it is planned to continue actively representing the interests of the Latvian agricultural and fishing industries in EU negotiations, as well as to bring the frameworks for the development and management of the forestry sector in order.
The work carried out by the Ministry of Health will be related to reorganizing the hospital network, creating a unified patient registration system for state medical services, and further reforming drug pricing.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Welfare plans to begin introducing a 'basic' pension, expand the approach to defining the status of an Honorary Family (which is entitled to discounts and benefits), and increase financial support for families with children.
In general, as you can see, there are a lot of plans. Let’s be realistic: it would be good if we could implement at least a third of what was promised!
