Madam Speaker of the Saeima!
Madam Prime Minister!
Distinguished members of the Saeima!
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Today, as the spring session of the Saeima draws to a close, so too concludes another year of work for the 14th Saeima.
The main priorities of our state remain unchanged – national defence and security, demography, economic development, and the challenges of providing quality education. The legislative initiatives I have submitted to the Saeima thus far have all been aligned with these objectives.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to every Member of Parliament and to the responsible Saeima committees who have supported the legislative initiatives I have put forward. And more initiatives are yet to come! Just yesterday, I submitted my seventeenth legislative proposal to the Presidium of the Saeima. This one concerning data exchange between state institutions. Its goal is to simplify operations both for the public and private sectors. I hope that in the next session, this initiative will receive your support.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
The way people feel about our country is affected by intangible things, not least the question of whether there is trust between the state and society. Time and again we hear the same questions – are we strong, are we safe?
With every new Saeima, voters have hopes and expectations of responsible governance, yet during each parliamentary term those hopes often slowly fade. Regrettably, that is the case today as well. The recent municipal elections were conducted only with great difficulty. Officials, somewhat reluctantly, have assumed responsibility, and the lessons learned must now be put to good use. But broader questions about our national development remain – why, in recent years, have we been unable to build hospital blocks on time and to the requisite standard, to implement the Rail Baltica project, and why do we so often drive investors away? Why do we have more evaluators and critics than doers? Why is the battle of ideas so often absent from public debate, replaced by a search for new prohibitions?
Why, at first glance, do we view everything with suspicion rather than learn to trust one another? Truth be told, we all know our ailments. Our public administration is, in many respects, process‑oriented rather than results‑oriented. We are already behind in absorbing the European Union funds allocated to us, because virtually every detail of an EU project must be approved at government level. And that is not a demand from Brussels. Indeed, when implementing EU projects, we often invent additional requirements of our own. We frequently enact sound and well‑considered laws, but the problems begin when those laws must be put into practice. All too often bureaucratic instructions dilute every good intention, and amid the thicket of laws and regulations responsibility, the individual, and basic humanity are lost.
Some time ago, we spoke a great deal about cutting red tape. Yet now, that conversation seems to have fallen quiet. It is not that nothing is happening – progress is being made – but when I meet with residents and entrepreneurs, I still do not hear that they have felt the results of these efforts.
As a society and a system of public administration, we must begin to place greater trust in our people. At the same time, we must inspire confidence that people can trust their state. We must first believe this ourselves. The question remains – is Latvia a country that truly values public opinion, or do we still have to improve in this area? My answer is clear – yes, the Latvian state does care about the views of its people, yes, it does care about society. But it is equally true that much work remains to be done.
The Constitution grants the voters of Latvia the right to submit legislative proposals to the Saeima, and these rights must not exist merely in theory, they must be meaningfully exercised in practice. That is why, in March, I submitted a legislative initiative to the Saeima aimed at increasing the state’s role in supporting signature collection for citizen-proposed legislation.
I also submitted a legislative initiative concerning the nomination of candidates for the positions of Governor of the Bank of Latvia, Auditor General, and Ombudsman. The objective of these proposals is to reduce the influence of political considerations in the nomination process for these key roles, while simultaneously enhancing public trust through greater civic involvement, including the use of referenda. These measures are not a panacea. They are small steps –achievable ones – but with each step, I am fully convinced that we can begin to restore public trust. I am certain that you, too, have ideas of your own, that you also share this aspiration. And I believe that such ideas deserve to be discussed here, in the Saeima. I urge you to put them into action!
Honourable members of the Saeima!
These are not peaceful times. War rages both in Europe and in the Middle East. While we may understand this in words, our actions do not always reflect that understanding. After all, who doesn’t like to lazily turn over at the sound of the alarm clock and mutter, “We still have five more minutes”? But the truth is, neither Europe nor Latvia has those five minutes left. We must take action now!
NATO’s allied presence in Latvia has grown to brigade level under Canada’s leadership. The Allies and their vessels ensure a tangible presence both in our airspace and in the Baltic Sea. Together, we are strong. But every nation has its homework to do, and we have a great deal of it.
We already require specific military capabilities and investment in the development of military infrastructure. Yet the nature of the war in Ukraine shows that a traditional approach is no longer sufficient. We must prepare for the war of the future, not of the past. We must prepare so that it does not happen, but we must still prepare. Five per cent of GDP is not merely a number. Money does not defend a country; it cannot be used for shelter in times of danger. We must ensure that our own and NATO’s defence plans are based on real capabilities. Here, I would like to commend the Cabinet of Ministers. The decisions taken have been both correct and timely, and I believe more will follow.
At the upcoming summit in The Hague, we will also call on every NATO Ally to invest more, and to do so more rapidly. On our own list of responsibilities, we must continue work on civil defence, military–civil cooperation, and the broad involvement of society in national defence.
In a sense, both the decisions we make here and the upcoming summit in The Hague next week will serve as a moment of truth.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Public sentiment is also reflected in demographic indicators. Our population is shrinking. Last year, fewer than 13,000 children were born in Latvia.[1] In twenty or thirty years, this will be a serious and very costly problem. Projections suggest that over the next 25 years, Latvia’s population could decline by a further 100,000.[2]
In this area too, the alarm has been ringing for a long time. It now feels as though we have finally woken up, sat up in bed, rubbed our eyes, and realised that something is wrong, that we have overslept. If we wish to stop and reverse this trend, a process that will take years, not just a single month or a single decision, then those decisions must be taken today.
I am convinced that there are concrete measures that must be included in next year’s budget. Benefit levels must be reviewed. In 2014, when it was last adjusted, the childcare allowance amounted to 50% of the minimum wage. Today, it is only 20% of the minimum wage. A one-off increase in benefits is not enough – we must consider regular revisions and indexation in line with income growth. Revising benefits alone will not solve the demographic crisis. Family policy cannot rely solely on financial support. But it can serve as a clear signal and a firm commitment.
We must invest in maternal and child healthcare, and affordable housing for young families. Education, too, is a crucial factor in addressing demographic decline. Educated individuals of all ages are an essential resource in the face of a shrinking population. Education and learning are no longer confined to children and youth – they have become a societal norm, where each of us acquires new knowledge and skills daily. In today’s world, competition hinges on the ability to learn – and to learn quickly. That is why, even under pressing financial constraints, we must not lose sight of our priority: a well-educated and enlightened society.
Next year’s national budget, however difficult it may be to prepare, must reflect these priorities. The decisions that shape the 2026 budget will not only affect that year but will have long-term consequences for many years to come.
The next parliamentary year will, in fact, be the final one for the 14th Saeima. You are already beginning to prepare for the elections next October. That will be a moment of truth – for promises made, work delivered, and work left undone. The public is not blind. It sees who has been working consistently and who is cramming at the last minute before the exam. The verdict may vary – from generous to severe. Therefore, it is essential to spend this final period meaningfully, without succumbing to pre-exam panic.
Honourable members of the Saeima!
Let us offer not only hope, but genuine and well-founded faith to our people – faith that our Latvia will grow. That in five- or ten-years’ time, we will be living in a stronger, better country. That in the years to come, we will be surrounded by happier and more confident people.
Let us act and bring good to our society. Let us build, through our deeds, a vision of a stronger and happier Latvia. Time is short, and the tasks before us are many. Let us work together for the good of our beautiful country!
Thank you for your attention!
[1] Source: Official statistics portal: https://stat.gov.lv/lv/statistikas-temas/iedzivotaji/iedzivotaju-skaits/247-iedzivotaju-skaits-un-ta-izmainas?themeCode=IR
[2] Source: Ministry of Economy Demographic projections: https://prognozes.em.gov.lv/lv/demografijas-prognozes
