Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs finds himself in a rather interesting situation. On one hand, as a politician, he has been quite fortunate: overnight, he transformed from a colorful opposition figure into a key player in the country, which has already led to a record rise in popularity for both himself and the United List. On the other hand, almost two months after taking office as head of government, Kulbergs realized that... he currently has nothing to please the voters with, and they are expecting concrete results. ## The Best Defense Is a Good Offense Moreover, there is a significant risk that instead of gifts, the Prime Minister will have to make unpopular decisions... Additionally, he has to deal with the heavy legacy inherited from the two previous governments. What to do? After a brief period of reflection, Kulbergs (apparently not without the involvement of his advisors and leaders of the United List) decided to act on the principle: the best defense is a good offense! And so, last week, Kulbergs – by the way, without discussing it with coalition partners – sent a statement to the Attorney General requesting an investigation into all circumstances surrounding airBaltic's receipt of financial aid and the legality of the financial decisions made by the airline (apparently, the Prime Minister wants to check how the decision to issue bonds at 14.5 percent annual interest was made, which significantly burdened airBaltic). The political meaning of this step is clear: to slightly scare the current leaders of the airline into moderating their appetites, and to show the public that the Prime Minister is capable of acting decisively and wants to bring everyone to light. Kulbergs likely hopes that this move will somehow lessen the negative public reaction in case the current government also has to provide financial assistance to airBaltic. However, this step has a negative side: if the investigation initiated by the Prime Minister leads to a criminal case, then, excuse me, what fool would invest money in the airline under these conditions?! Nevertheless, it seems the Prime Minister is confident that by the time the investigation is underway... the elections will have already taken place – let us remind you: the country will elect a new Saeima on October 3. ## To Cancel or Not to Cancel But troubles never come alone: following airBaltic, the "woodworking scandal" has received new developments. Let us recall the backstory: The Prosecutor's Office began an active investigation in the spring, just before the formation of the new government, within the framework of a previously initiated criminal case regarding, according to the prosecution, the unlawful decision of the previous Silin government... from December 19, 2023! To explain the essence of the government's decision in simple terms, the government, at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, effectively obliged the state joint-stock company "Latvijas valsts meži" to conduct a "price adjustment" – that is, to lower them – when selling timber to woodworking companies under previously concluded contracts. The contracts were made long before the geopolitical crisis and the war in Ukraine, and by the end of 2023, they turned out to be several times higher than the market price at that time. The Ministry of Agriculture insisted on price adjustments under the pretext of needing to save the woodworking industry from bankruptcy. The Prosecutor's Office insists that the government had no right to interfere in the operational economic activities of "Latvijas valsts meži," as the execution of contracts is within the exclusive competence of the management of that enterprise. Does this mean that the government cannot help a particular sector of the economy if there is a real threat of crisis? What about state subsidies for the railway or for airBaltic? There is a difference – these are subsidies for state enterprises, not private companies. Such subsidies, according to the prosecution, would be possible if a state of emergency in the sector had been declared and in agreement with Brussels, which, by the way, was also not obtained! In any case, it seems that the current government, and especially the Prime Minister, who has no relation to this investigation, should not be involved at all?! Let the Prosecutor's Office deal with its issues, and the government with its own. However, the Prosecutor's Office decided to "involve the Kulbergs government" – a prosecutor's protest arrived at the Cabinet demanding that the current government cancel the Silin government's decision from December 19, 2023. The Prime Minister, citing explanations from government lawyers, stated that the Cabinet has no legal ability to cancel the Silin government's decision. Kulbergs expressed his readiness to appeal to the Constitutional Court to have the court issue a verdict on whether the government can cancel the "protocol resolution" of the previous government. Notably, unexpectedly, the Prime Minister was attacked by... his power partners from the "New Unity" party. Representatives of this party are convinced that the decision from 2023 can and should be canceled! Interestingly, criticism of Kulbergs' actions also came from Inese Libina-Egnere, a deputy from "New Unity," who in December 2023 was herself the Minister of Justice, approved the scandalous "protocol resolution," and voted for it! It is understandable that "New Unity" wants to remind voters of themselves, but this is precisely the case where representatives of this party have shot themselves in the foot! As for the story with the resolution, if it is no longer in effect – there is no point in grinding water in a mortar! In any case, this does not prevent the Prosecutor's Office from continuing its investigation and moving on to filing charges. ## Whether He Stole or He... Kulbergs is currently successfully fending off attacks from coalition partners and going on the offensive. All this is, of course, very interesting, but it creates the impression that the government has become mired in political squabbles instead of working. And now the Prosecutor's Office has "intervened"! And it could turn out that in the end, voters will be completely confused ("whether he stole or he...") and... will vote for entirely different political forces – those that are above the fray! By the way, the project of the century – Rail Baltica – has also become the subject of investigation within the framework of a criminal case. "Let's all sit down!" - as the hero of the immortal comedy "The Diamond Arm" said.