Briskens must show results until budget is approved - Silina

RIGA - Transport Minister Kaspars Briskens (Progressives) has been entrusted with a very challenging sector, and he "must definitely show results before the adoption of the budget", Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) said in an interview with the magazine Ir.

Asked to assess the work of ministers in general and the work of Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives), Finance Minister Arvils Aseradens (New Unity) and Transport Minister Briskens in particular, Silina elaborated on the latter: "I have been asked questions about the Transport Minister. He has a very challenging sector. His performance is not always what I would have liked to see. I judge people very much on the outcome of their work. (...) The result will certainly be what I am looking forward to."

Asked whether this meant that Briskens has been given a deadline for the work, Siliņa replied that he "definitely has to show the result before the budget is adopted". She went on to explain that this was about the Rail Baltica project. "We need to understand what the governance model will be for Rail Baltica, because the current one is not really delivering what we need to be able to easily understand what the costs are. So that we understand what has been saved, what the cost will be, how we are going to move forward in phases - that is something I have not yet seen."

The latest scenario of the Ministry of Transport for the development of Rail Baltica until 2030 has yet to be discussed by the government. "We all want Riga. It is one thing to want it, but it is another thing whether we can build a connection to Riga. The question is how much it will cost and whether it will hinder the whole project's progress. And this is my question to Minister Briskens," the politician added: "At the moment, I don't see Europe ready to commit clear financial resources to [a European-wide rail link to Riga]. Then we have to do it ourselves. Is Briskens, when he says he wants Riga, also prepared to find a financial solution?"

"The project is so complex that simply changing the minister does not do anything immediately either. I have given him the opportunity to prove himself, because he has all along been presenting himself as someone who knows about this project. Of course, if necessary, I will judge the Minister by the result," Silina concluded the conversation about Briskens.

Evaluating the work of the Finance Minister, Silina singled out Aseradens as an experienced politician and visionary. "The Ministry of Finance will always be the one that everyone will want to criticize a bit if there is not as much funding as they would like," the Prime Minister said adding that Aseradens is a vsionary. "He has a lot of good ideas and he definitely needs a team around him who can make them happen. That is how we are working now."

For his part, Spruds is said to have "received the defense sector as a gift", which now has a completely different public profile and a different level of funding than before. "The government has achieved more than 3 percent of GDP [for defence], which means that the public is demanding much more accountability, transparency, clarification of decisions and a strong position. Also speed, because the defense sector now needs a different kind of speed than it is used to. And cooperation with other sectors," the Prime Minister said.

Asked whether Spruds is coping with these tasks, Silina said. "He tries very hard, but I think sometimes you just have to admit that you can't do something."

Overall, when asked whether her government would last until the next elections, Silina replied that the tiny majority in the Saeima was not what would determine the longevity of her government. "Many governments in Europe work in a minority government in general, and they work very well. The decisive factor is whether you can get along. So far we have been able to do that", she said, "of course, there are two parties in the coalition which are more experienced. For one party, this is the first time in government and there are many challenges. It is not easy, but it also gives us new aspects, makes us look at things differently."