This week started off with Latvian Minister of the Interior Marija Golubeva’s resignation announcement, which was followed by Prime Minister Krišjāņš Kariņš’s request for the National Alliance to replace one of its own ministers – Jānis Vitenbergs. Although the party said this decision is irresponsible, the PM still insisted on it.
In April 2022 the actual unemployment level in Latvia dropped by 0.3 percentage points – to 6.8%. Unemployment among men has declined more than among women, according to data compiled by the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSP).
The grey economy, meanwhile, has increased in all three Baltic States during the Covid-19 pandemic. Latvia’s total losses from the grey economy are estimated at EUR 2.7 billion.
BNN gives you a summery of the most relevant events of the past week in the following topics: Minister’s resignation; Response to «blackmail», Unemployment levels down, Grey economy up; NATO expansion, Russian war crimes.
MINISTER’S RESIGNATION
Latvian minister resigns: I don’t think I should be ashamed of the work that I’ve done
Latvian Minister of the Interior Marija Golubeva. Photo: Ivars Soikāns/LETA«I resign because it’s not possible to work as minister of the interior without support from the prime minister. But now is not the time to leave for the party to leave the party in an attempt at vengeance. Cooperation will continue,» said Latvia’s Minister of the Interior Marija Golubeva in her resignation announcement on Monday, 16 May.
«We will decide on future cooperation – both with National Alliance and others, the PM included. This does not mean we are prepared to become people who intend to destabilize the government,» Golubeva said at a press-conference.
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RESPONSE TO BLACKMAIL
Latvian PM counters National Alliance’s blackmail with minister’s dismissal
Latvian Minister of Economics Jānis Vitenbergs. Photo: Edijs Pālens/LETAIn response to «blackmail attempt» by the National Alliance, Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš has decided to request dismissal for Minister of Economics Jānis Vitenbergs.
National Alliance will be able to pick a new candidate for the post of Minister of Economics of Latvia. At the same time, Kariņš allows for the possibility of NA deciding on their own which of their ministers should be replaced. The PM explained that Vitenbergs was picked because he’s the «youngest» NA minister.
At his 16 May press-conference, Kariņš said he sees political blackmail in NA’s demand to dismiss Minister of the Interior Marija Golubeva. Otherwise NA threatened to leave the government.
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UNEMPLOYMENT LEVEL DOWN
Unemployment levels continue dropping in Latvia
Photo: UnsplashIn April 2022 actual unemployment rate in Latvia constituted 6.8 %, and, compared to March, it has decreased by 0.3 percentage points.
In April unemployment rate among females fell by 0.2 percentage points (reaching 5.7 %) and among males by 0.3 percentage points (7.9 %), according to data of the Labour Force Survey conducted by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP).
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GREY ECONOMY UP
Grey economy continues growing in all Baltic States
Photo: Edijs Pālens/LETAThe volume of grey economy in Latvia increased 1.1% last year, reaching 26.6% of the country’s GDP, according to results of Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga) Grey Economy Index in Baltic States.
Money-wise, the total losses for tax revenue from grey economy in Latvia exceed EUR 2.7 billion. During Covid-19 pandemic the grey economy volume increased in Lithuania and Estonia as well.
According to estimates of the Grey Economy Index, which is performed in Baltic States since 2009, the level of grey economy in Latvia showed a tendency to reduce in 2015 and 2016, when it was 21.3% and 20.7% of the country’s GDP respectively. In later years, however, grey economy either increased or remained mostly unchanged: in 2017 it was 22.0% of Latvia’s GDP, in 2018 it was 24.2%, in 2019 it was 23.9%, in 2020 it was 25.5% and in 2021 it was 26.6%.
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NATO EXPANSION
Finland and Sweden officially submit NATO membership requests
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: AFP/SCANPIXOn Tuesday, 18 May, Finland and Sweden officially submitted NATO membership requests.
Ambassadors of both countries submitted requests to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the alliance’s main headquarters in Brussels.
«This is a historic moment. Our allies will now work on the next steps on your path to joining NATO,» said Stoltenberg.
For a long time Finland and Sweden have refrained from joining the alliance. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drastically changed the security situation in Europe. This is why the opinion of both politicians and residents of those countries has shifted in favour of joining NATO.
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RUSSIAN WAR CRIMES
European Parliament requests international tribunal to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Mariupol, 18 May. Photo: AFP/SCANPIXIn its Thursday’s passed resolution the European Parliament (EP) invites forming a special international tribunal to investigate Russian war crimes, as reported by EP representatives in Latvia.
In this resolution the European Union is invited to support the formation of a special international tribunal to punish crimes that are not in the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and bring to justice Russian and its allied political leaders and military commanders.
MEPs also want the EU to secure all the necessary human and budget resources, as well as administrative, investigation and logistical support to form such a tribunal.
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BNN summary of the week: Latvian ministers replaced. Grey economy climbs. NATO expands
