Ošlejs and Kivičs clash over Latvia's problems in post-election debate

In a post-election discussion hosted by the Latvian news portal nra.lv, economist Jānis Ošlejs and musician Andris Kivičs argued over whether pointing to Latvia's problems amounts to saying that everything in the country is bad. As the dispute heated up, Kivičs accused the economist of distorting his words and demanded a public apology. Political scientist Filips Rajevskis and journalist Kristīne Kravcova also took part.

Disagreement over how well the country is run

Ošlejs stressed the need to think about companies that create wealth. He disagreed with Kivičs's view that the country is in disarray, saying that much has already been put in order in Latvia and that, compared with other countries, the situation is good. In his view, one major question remains unresolved: how to make companies and entrepreneurs profitable.

Kivičs asked what exactly is in order in Latvia, and in which area. He named medicine, internal affairs, defence, the economy and transport, questioning whether order really prevails there. The musician also drew on his own experience in the police, where investigators' desks were piled with papers while staff shortages were cited as the reason for problems. At the same time, he singled out the work of the ambulance service for praise.

Ošlejs noted that problems exist even in the best-organised companies and countries. As an example he cited Japan, where he studied the "lean" management approach, which involves continuously seeking out and solving problems.

The dispute over what was said

Kivičs objected to the "everything is bad" label, which he said is pinned on people who talk about what has not been done. He said he considers Latvia a wonderful country but asked why it lags behind Lithuania and Estonia. Ošlejs replied that Latvia does not trail its neighbours in every field, and that governing well means both recognising the positive and constantly fixing the negative.

When the economist accused Kivičs of claiming that nothing in Latvia is good, the musician denied it, saying he is a patriot and never said so. Ošlejs illustrated his point with a flower bed: a manager must keep weeding but also think about growing strong flowers, meaning the state needs a clear plan for creating wealth.

At the end of the exchange, Kivičs demanded a public apology if the recording confirmed his words. Someone in the studio called for calm.