Political scientist: unfulfilled pledges in the regions reduce voter turnout

Latvian political scientist Filips Rajevskis and Ritums Rozenbergs, a journalist at the news portal nra.lv, said after a conversation with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs that politicians' unfulfilled promises to residents of the regions not only deepen disappointment in the state but also reduce the willingness to vote. In their view, political passivity among residents may, over time, threaten the foundations of democracy.

A technical school in Latgale as an example

As an example, Rajevskis cited a technical school in Latgale, the eastern region of Latvia, which the president mentioned in the interview. Promises about it were made during election campaigns several years ago but were never fulfilled. The political scientist noted that such cases become especially significant at a time when the state must think about budget consolidation and make difficult decisions on distributing funding. In his view, the question arises which state needs and which politicians' promises will be treated as priorities.

Rozenbergs remarked that the president had successfully linked regional problems with national security issues in the conversation. The journalist believes that trust in the state is undermined when politicians come to the regions before elections, promise residents “blue miracles,” and then fail to deliver and disappear. He said this slows down and undermines the foundations of democracy.

Participation as a choice

Rajevskis recalled that Rinkēvičs regularly visits Latvia's regions and therefore has an understanding of the situation outside Riga. According to the political scientist, one of the key problems is declining public participation: people feel disappointed and increasingly choose not to vote because they believe their vote changes nothing. At the same time, he stressed that the decision to turn up at an election, even if a person does not want to vote for any candidate or party, is a conscious political choice, and dropping an empty envelope into the ballot box is a form of participation.

Both participants agreed that politics affects everyone, regardless of whether they wish to be involved. Staying away from elections does not mean escaping the consequences of politics, and involvement matters even if it happens only once every four years. “It is better to take part than not to take part in a process that affects you directly anyway,” said Rajevskis.