The Saeima rejected the dismissal request from the opposition and decided to keep Kaspars Briškens as Minister of Transport. The opposition, meanwhile, remains critical of the minister’s inability to solve problems.
43 Saeima deputies voted in favour of Briškens’ dismissal. 48 Saeima deputies voted against. Only members of Progressives, New Unity and Union of Greens and Farmers voted against his dismissal.
Combined List political party’s member Edvards Smiltēns invited supporting the dismissal in debates held prior to the vote. According to him, is the only way to prevent the inaction and chaos in the Ministry of Transport. Briškens, according to Smiltēns, is incapable of solving major problems. The Combined List member added that the past year with Briškens at the held of the ministry, there have been problems with Latvian Post, Vivi trains, airBaltic and Rail Baltica.
“I don’t think you’ll find a single person in our country who would agree that Briškens is the right man in the right place,” said the Saeima member.
Smiltēns believes that Briškens is trying to fish for sympathy by saying that he inherited all the problems from previous ministers.
Latvia in First Place (LPV) leader Ainārs Šlesers invited the minister to explain how he plans to finance Rail Baltica, because there is no money left. The politician stressed that in ten years Briškens has worked in various posts in Rail Baltica and airBaltic.
Opposition members also directed criticism towards New Unity and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa personally.
Šlesers’ party member Linda Liepiņa believes Briškens and Progressives are kept in the government solely to ensure the government’s stability. The politician invited the minister to step down.
For Stability politician Amils Saļimovs mentioned – if there was no backlash from society in the topic of airBaltic, Briškens would not have bothered even communicating the issue. The opposition member voiced concerns about Briškens’ ideas. She mentioned the proposal from the Ministry of Transport to penalize people for exceeding speed limits by 1 km/h.
Progressives faction chairman Andris Šuvajevs, defending his colleague, said Saeima deputies have no reason to support the dismissal request, repeating what Briškens previously said – that both the minister and his party are in favour of promoting transparency.