The attempt by the "green farmers" to politically "suspend" Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs regarding the "airBaltic issue" failed - opposition deputies from the "Progressives" faction came to the government's aid, who, according to rumors, informed the Prime Minister yesterday, on the eve of today's meeting of the Saeima's budget and finance committee, of their readiness to support the stabilization plan for the national airline. Therefore, today's committee meeting went without surprises - the "green farmers" voted "against," while the deputies from the "Progressives" faction voted "for," together with representatives of "New Unity," the National Alliance, and the United List. There is no doubt that the relevant bill regarding airBaltic will be adopted tomorrow in its final reading at an extraordinary plenary session. The deputies from "Latvia First" also voted "against." Why did the "Progressives" act this way? There are three reasons for this. The first is that the "Progressives" have been responsible for the Ministry of Communications for almost three years, that is, during the Silinie government, and thus also bear responsibility for the financial situation that has developed in airBaltic. Moreover, they passionately convinced their colleagues in the Saeima back in April to support the issuance of an urgent loan of 30 million. It would be strange if the "Progressives" now refused to vote for the extension of the loan repayment period. The second reason is that knowing that the coalition partners, the "green farmers," had refused to vote for the airBaltic law, the "Progressives" seized the opportunity to, on the one hand, drive a wedge between the ruling parties, and on the other, make a "down payment for the future," showing Kulbergs and Co. that the "Progressives" can be predictable partners. The third reason: a significant part of the "Progressives" electorate consists of young people who travel actively, and the "Progressives" did not dare to allow the airline's bankruptcy on the eve of elections... In any case, Kulbergs secured the support of the majority for the urgent adoption of the airline stabilization law in two readings. However, the ruling parties do not have a constitutional majority to immediately pass the law, and the president could not object - the document would come into force immediately. Apparently, today and tomorrow morning, the Prime Minister will be persuading the "green farmers" to reconsider and also support the bill. However, it is unlikely that the "green farmers" will agree to this - given the latest ratings, they have nothing to lose and no reason to support an extremely unpopular decision.
