Linda Liepiņa says she is shocked by state finances after meeting the prime minister

Linda Liepiņa, a member of the Latvian parliament (Saeima) from the party “Latvija Pirmajā vietā” (“Latvia First”), published a Facebook post on 3 November about her meeting with Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs at the Cabinet of Ministers. She wrote that she had finally seen the true figures on the state's finances and was shocked. The post has left some commenters puzzled.

What happened at the meeting

The meeting at the Cabinet of Ministers brought together Kulbergs and representatives of “Latvija Pirmajā vietā”: board chairman Ainārs Šlesers and deputy Liepiņa. A press briefing followed.

Shortly afterwards, Liepiņa wrote on social media that saying she was in shock would be saying nothing. She gave no specific numbers or data. She added that she would no longer comment, because “everything is in Andris Kulbergs’ hands.” In the post she urged followers to “buckle up” and to be Latvian patriots “to the end.”

Liepiņa also thanked those who supported her during the 14th Saeima and said she would take the oath as a member of the 15th Saeima the following day.

Reaction from commenters

The post prompted questions from readers. In the comments, people asked how the true state finance figures could come as such a surprise to a sitting lawmaker. A commenter named Inese asked how many years one has to work in the Saeima before thinking of checking the real financial figures, and whether it had been a state secret.

Another commenter, Jeļena, asked whether the names of those who made the decisions that led the country to these figures were known, and whether they would be held accountable.