Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, leader of the New Unity party, urged his coalition partners to prioritise the national interest and set aside personal ambitions and concerns about their posts, LETA reports. Karins expressed his disappointment that only opposition parties, namely the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and the Progressives, have attended talks initiated…
Latvia’s Minister of Agriculture, Didzis Šmits, has finally been given access to official secrets, the Agriculture Ministry announced, LETA reports. The Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) confirmed that the minister has received a permit to access official secrets. Security agencies took six months to review his application. Šmits was the last minister without access to official…
The European Commission has approved a financing package of EUR 305mn from the Connecting Europe Facility for transport infrastructure projects in Latvia during the 2021-2027 financial period, the Ministry of Transport announced, Baltic News Network reports. The ministry will allocate the funds to several key initiatives, including EUR 298mn for the Rail Baltica railway project,…
Latvia’s Competition Council has allowed Estonian investment company Dragad to merge into Estonia-based holding Maral Invest, Baltic News Network reports. Following the merger, Dragad will be removed from the commercial register. Dragad’s Estonian subsidiary, Võru-based Cristella VT, produces various bakery products. Maral Invest owns three major bakeries in the Baltic states: Estonia’s Eesti Pagar, Latvia’s…
The Latvian agrarian political party, Latvian Farmers Union (LZS), has decided to ask the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) to decide on requesting the dismissal of Agriculture Minister Didzis Šmits (United List), Baltic News Network reports. ZZS will be meeting to discuss the request on 4 July 2023. LZS accused Šmits of “inaction” amid…
The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) will ask Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins to adopt urgent solutions to implement the agreement reached with the Ministry of Education and Science after a recent teacher strike, LETA reports. Earlier, LIZDA demanded that Education Minister Anda Caksa resign, which the minister refused to do, insisting…
The Latvian government has approved amendments to requirements on green public procurement, aiming to provide more opportunities for local producers, Baltic News Network reports. The updated criteria cover various categories such as food and catering, indoor and street lighting, construction, transport, and road construction and maintenance. The amendments will enable municipal and state institutions to…
Coalition partners in Latvia’s Riga City Council — New Unity, Code for Riga, National Alliance, and the Latvian Association of Regions (LRA) — are in talks to establish a new coalition, LETA reports. The factions regard the decision of mayor Martins Stakis to step down as “counterproductive” and emphasised the need to prevent snap elections,…
Tax revenue in Latvia totalled EUR 5.387bn in the first five months of 2023, which was EUR 600.9mn (12.6%) higher than in the same period of 2022, according to data from the Finance Ministry, LETA reported. Tax revenue thus exceeded the budget plan by EUR 166.4mn (3.2%). State tax revenue amounted to EUR 4.241bn (2.8%…