BNN SUMMARY OF THE WEEK: “Burned wires”. Wealth over law? Revenge, not a penalty. “Post-Soviet” France
The fact that the Constitutional Court of Latvia would not pay any mind to Ķekava County Council’s good intentions to keep its residents safe from gambling was clear even before the case hit the desk in the court. The law is the law. Regardless if intentions were good or not or if they were dictated by the need to distance from the rapidly fading For Latvia’s Development political party, this is an especially cynical method used to push legal initiatives – put them morally more important than the law.
The Minister of Justice, meanwhile, promises to strengthen rule of law and trust of the public in the court justice system. One would hope so. However, the general opinion of Latvia’s residents is very fickle, especially when the law is ignored in the name of “justice and fairness”. Ķekava County Council does look like an unfortunate victim of circumstances of law. Minister Māris Sprindžuks should help out his colleague and “smack the fingers” of municipalities to at least put an end to moralising.
One government, but two candidates for the presidential post. It is clear this is a no-go. But if partners are patient, a compromise will be found.
The Latvian Saeima’s approved requirement for foreign couples who want to adopt children in Latvia to be heterosexual and monogamous may cause a rather big problem for the country when it comes to protecting European progressive values. A member of New Unity, as well as the entirety of the Progressive Party, are already accusing the parliament of “acute orbanism”. Is this some plot before the upcoming presidential elections in Latvia?
The only thing that comes to mind when a “peaceful opposition politician” in Russia is sentenced to 25 years in prison: when will the Kremlin adopt war-time tribunals and public executions? The judge that was in charge of the trial was previously included on the US Magnitsky Act, which is a list of officials accused by the western superpower of corruption. This act came to be thanks to Vladimir Kara-Murza as well. Perhaps this is why he was put in prison.
The French government has at least one thing in common with Latvia – the insatiable desire to raise retirement age for its residents.
China is far away from Europe, but it has long arms. This much comes from Lithuania’s experience, where the industrial sector is alarmed over potentially losing a most valuable market of this “authoritarian Communist superpower”.
BNN gives you a summery of the most relevant events of the past week in the following topics: Illegal virtue; Crack in the government; “Orbanism” on the rise; Promoting trust in Themis; Country of treachery; Will the nation forgive?; The price of consistency.
ILLEGAL VIRTUE
Ķekava County loses lawsuit for attempt to restrict gambling within its territory
The halting of the restriction imposed by Ķekava County Council on the organisation of gambling within its territory corresponds with regulations, the Constitutional Court concluded, announcing its verdict.
With this verdict Ķekava County Council has lost the lawsuit in which it attempted to challenge the act issued by then the Minister of Environment Protection and Regional Development Minister Artūrs Toms Plešs to halt the municipality’s issued binding regulations “On Organisation of Gambling in Ķekava County”.
The lawsuit was initiated following the request from Ķekava County Council.
The legislative act issued by then the minister halted the regulations On Organisation of Gambling in Ķekava County of the 8th of September 2021. The minister explained in the challenged act that the regulations in question do not correspond to regulations that have higher legislative power.
More here
CRACK IN THE GOVERNMENT
Latvian PM: ruling coalition should be more unified in their choice of president
It would be best if the ruling coalition reached an agreement on a single presidential candidate, said Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš after a meeting of coalition parties.
The Combined List (AS) ha picked its founder Uldis Pīlēns as the party’s presidential candidate. New Unity and National Alliance, on the other hand, are not too eager to support this candidate. The National Alliance picked Egils Levits in the previous election. Though the National Alliance has announced plans to pick him as their presidential candidate again, it is unclear if Levits could decide to run for presidency again.
At the moment Pīlēns’ election as Latvia’s next president seems more likely than Levits’ re-election.
According to the PM, an agreement over the presidential candidate would make the work of all involved sides all the easier. It would also bring about “a degree of predictability”.
More here
“ORBANISM” ON THE RISE?
Latvian Saeima dictates foreign child adopters have to be married in accordance to the Constitution
On Thursday, the 20th of April, Latvia’s Saeima passed in the final reading amendments to the Law on the Protection of the Children’s Rights. Following the proposal from National Alliance member Aleksandrs Kiršteins, amendments state that foreigner couples who adopt children in Latvia are required to be married in accordance with Latvia’s Constitution [be a man and a woman].
Amendments were passed not just in relation to child adoption to foreign countries, but also in relation to having a family-like environment in accordance with the definition of marriage as listed in the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. The law states foreigners are allowed to adopt children in Latvia if the orphan court that decided on out of family care receives a notification from the Foreign Adoption Committee, which states that adopting parents are married in accordance with Section 110 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia and that the adoption procedure to a foreign country corresponds with child rights protection principles and the child’s best interests.
It is also decided to define a family environment as a set of circumstances and prerequisites when a child lives in his or her biological family, or, if this is not possible, in a guardian’s family, foster family or adoptive family that corresponds with the definitions listed in Section 110 of the Constitution of Latvia and Section 35 of the Civil Law.
More here
COUNTRY OF TREACHERY
Russian opposition activist Kara-Murza sentenced to 25 years in prison
Opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murz has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in Russia for treason and other charges related to his criticism of the war in Ukraine, the BBC writes.
The former journalist and politician is currently the latest convict in a rather long list of Putin’s opponents who have been arrested or forced to leave Russia.
Kara-Murza denied the accusations and spoke loudly against the trial. He said: “I subscribe to every word that I have said. Not only do I not repent any of this, I am proud of it.” He has both criticized the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine and openly opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin and the regime’s crackdown on dissidents.
Kara-Murza, 41, played an important role in pushing Western countries to impose sanctions on Russia for human rights abuses and corruption.
More here
WILL THE NATION FORGIVE?
French will have to work longer before pension
French President Emmanuel Macron has succeeded in achieving pension reform, but its price will be significant for his political career, writes Reuters.
Given that raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years just puts France in a similar position to its European Union (EU) neighbors, there has been astonishment abroad at the widespread protests and public anger.
Theoretically, the French really do retire later than the residents of neighboring countries. Currently, the average retirement age in the EU is 64.8 years, and France, together with Greece, have so far been the countries where citizens go on retirement earlier. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the relatively low retirement age and longer life expectancy mean that the French actually spend much more time in retirement than others.
More here
PRICE OF CONSISTENCY
BNN ANALYSES | Industrialists’ executive rings alarm bells: businesses suffer without Chinese market
Linas Jegelevičius
Lithuanian politicians who assumed a bellicose stance towards China fail to heed local business interests and furthermore – make then uncompetitive, says Arūnas Laurinaitis, vice president of the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists (LPK).
According to him, Lithuania, having razzed China, will be the only one left without cheap raw materials.
He insists that Lithuania’s China policy has dealt a strong blow to the competitiveness of Lithuanian companies and businesses.
“The loss of China, I could say, has pushed Lithuanian business outside the EU’s competitiveness limits, because Lithuania is the only one that now does not have direct access to the Chinese markets. Lithuanian business uses companies from Poland, Latvia, and other countries in order to get materials,” the LPK executive told delfi.lt
In his words, with an economic crisis looming around the corner, the fallout from strained relations with China will additionally exacerbate the situation.
