Stepaņenko reluctant to explain origin of large gifts from father in Russia

Jūlija Stepaņenko, prime ministerial candidate for the "Sovereign Power/United Latvians" party alliance, refused during an interview on the podcast "Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!" to explain the origin of financial gifts received from her father, citing her right to family privacy.

The politician confirmed that her father lives in Russia and provides financial support to her family, despite having left the family when Stepaņenko was a child. Asked about the source of the funds, she said the gifts had been officially declared, adding that anyone with suspicions about the money's origin could contact law enforcement authorities. "This is where we draw the line," Stepaņenko said, without explaining her father's occupation or the source of his wealth.

Declared gifts

According to Stepaņenko's official asset declarations, the combined value of two gifts from her father totals €419,598.05. A declaration filed upon leaving a position on October 31, 2022, lists a gift of €239,598.05 from her father. A separate declaration covering the period from November 2023 to October 2024 states that in January 2024 she received an apartment in Riga worth €180,000 from him.

Stepaņenko also declined to comment on other aspects of her financial situation. Upon taking office as a Saeima deputy on November 4, 2014, she had declared loans issued totaling €575,888.42 and debt obligations of €347,479.37, but did not explain during the interview how this loan capital was accumulated.

In her 2025 declaration, the politician listed cash savings of €66,000, while her husband, Vjačeslavs Stepaņenko, declared €57,000 in cash savings in his own filing. Stepaņenko has campaigned on preserving cash circulation, justifying the pledge as a matter of personal freedom and a way to make payments during power outages, but she rejected any link between this policy proposal and her own savings.