The coalition parties have reached an agreement that the Society Integration Foundation (SIF) will not be abolished, Progressives Saeima faction leader Andris Šuvajevs told the LETA news agency.
However, an audit of SIF’s functions and a review of administrative costs are planned. “Overall, SIF will continue its work,” Šuvajevs said. The Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) had proposed liquidating the foundation, and several opposition parties had expressed support for the idea.
According to Šuvajevs, agreement has also been reached that State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF) funding will be in line with what the law provides, which the Progressives propose for the second reading of the state budget.
Šuvajevs said “separate agreements” have also been reached on additional funding for healthcare, but details on the amounts and targets are to be expected in the coming days, when a final agreement is anticipated.
Šuvajevs noted that
the practice so far has been for proposals not supported within the coalition to be withdrawn
by coalition parties and MPs, and he believes that will be the case this year as well. “Primarily we will agree on issues where we can reach agreement. Those we cannot agree on will be withdrawn,” Šuvajevs said, describing the talks held so far as good overall.
The coalition has agreed to continue talks on proposals tomorrow and the day after.
Meanwhile, Economics Minister Viktors Valainis (ZZS) told journalists that decisions on the institution’s future will be taken after a functional audit is completed early next year. After that, it is planned to assess which functions to transfer to ministries, which to retain, and whether to change the institution’s name.
The minister said the talks also produced agreement to restore municipal involvement to dispel misleading impressions about the foundation’s work, as well as on the need to clarify its functions.
Valainis also said that coalition discussions resulted in a compromise
on continuing the reconstruction of the oncology center, additional investments for rural family doctors, and austerity measures, including reducing Rail Baltica costs by €200–300 million.
Some proposals remain unresolved, but solutions for them will be sought outside the budget law, Valainis said.
Finance Minister Arvils Ašeradens (New Unity, JV) described the talks as constructive, with several compromises reached. Ašeradens also noted that not all partners’ proposals can be satisfied; solutions for some will be sought outside the work on next year’s budget.
As reported, ZZS proposed reorganizing SIF, which could save €1.19 million in the budget. Eliminating 14 to 15 positions would save €608,231, ZZS notes.
In ZZS’s view,
the programs implemented by SIF could henceforth be carried out by the Ministries
of Welfare, Culture, and Education and Science, providing support to NGOs, media, and continuing activities in the field of social cohesion.
The ZZS plan to liquidate SIF was criticized by coalition partners New Unity (JV) and the Progressives. JV Saeima faction leader Edmunds Jurēvics called ZZS’s proposal dangerous populism. According to Jurēvics, the proposal targets Latvia’s civil society, and JV will categorically not support it. Progressives faction leader Šuvajevs called the proposal a deliberate attack on civil society and likewise labeled the ZZS idea populism.
Previously, Jurēvics, speaking about various faction proposals, said there was a “collegial agreement” that any proposals coalition MPs might submit would first be compiled and discussed within the coalition to determine which ones to table to improve next year’s budget.
Asked whether the coalition could support any opposition proposals for next year’s budget,
Jurēvics said that in previous years “not all proposals were automatically rejected.”
“Any support for opposition proposals can occur only when there is unanimity within the coalition,” the politician explained. Jurēvics allowed that most opposition proposals for next year’s budget are likely to be political rather than substantive, aimed at positioning.
As reported, the Saeima Budget and Finance (Taxation) Committee received more than 450 proposals in total for the second (final) reading of next year’s state budget bill.
For 2026, consolidated general government revenues are planned at €16.064 billion, and expenditures at €17.945 billion.
Read also: BNN Interview | “110 million euros evaporates every year” — Andris Kulbergs on the absurd cost of Riga’s heating