Rinkēvičs: In a crisis, instructions often can't be followed — initiative is needed
President Edgars Rinkēvičs said after Latvia's destructive storm that common sense and personal initiative matter more than trying to regulate every crisis scenario with instructions. He praised emergency services and volunteers for their storm response.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said in an interview with TV3's programme "900 sekundes" that during a crisis, written instructions often cannot be followed, so personal initiative and common sense become essential. He said he is concerned by the tendency to try to break everything down into detailed instructions.
Rinkēvičs noted that much has improved since the 2005 storm, but recent events exposed shortcomings at critical infrastructure sites such as shops, fuel stations and mobile network facilities. In some cases there were no generators at all, while in others generators ran out of fuel.
Regulation versus self-responsibility
Asked whether such problems should be addressed through stricter regulation or left to businesses themselves, the president expressed doubt that every aspect of life can be solved through "super-regulation." He argued that the private sector, which profits from its operations, should also show responsibility and common sense. Where that understanding is lacking, he said, it becomes necessary to assess what mandatory regulation might be needed.
According to Rinkēvičs, a crisis is not resolved by some distant state authority but by everyone together — each household individually, and the state as a whole.
Cancelled events and a falling tree
Commenting on the fact that some public events were cancelled during the storm while others went ahead — including a concert in Jūrmala where a tree fell near spectators — Rinkēvičs said the organisers who cancelled their events acted correctly. He stressed that the storm warning had been timely and serious, and praised the work of emergency services, volunteers and the National Guard.
The storm, described as the strongest summer storm in Latvia in recent decades, struck on Saturday and the following night, with wind gusts locally exceeding 30 metres per second. It caused extensive damage to the electricity grid, initially cutting power to around 277,000 customers. By Monday morning, supply disruptions still affected roughly 87,000 customers nationwide.
