Economist Ošlejs and musician Kivičs clash during live TV debate
During a live post-election discussion on NRA, economist Jānis Ošlejs and musician Andris Kivičs argued sharply over how to assess Latvia's situation. Kivičs accused the economist of twisting his words and demanded a public apology.
In a post-election discussion broadcast live by NRA in October 2026, economist Jānis Ošlejs and musician Andris Kivičs could not agree on whether talking about Latvia's problems amounts to saying that everything in the country is bad. As the dispute escalated, Kivičs accused the economist of distorting his words and demanded a public apology.
Disagreement over what is in order
Ošlejs said much has been achieved in Latvia and that, compared with other countries, it is well organised. At the same time, he acknowledged the need to think about business development and how to help companies operate profitably.
Kivičs disagreed and asked in which areas order actually prevails. He backed his view with his own experience at a police station, where investigators' desks were piled with documents while the problems were explained by a lack of staff. As a positive example, the musician named the work of the emergency medical service.
Ošlejs replied that every country and company has problems, including those regarded as well run. He cited Japan, where he studied the "lean" management approach, built on continuous identification and elimination of problems.
The exchange grows heated
The participants also turned to how society treats people who publicly point to unresolved issues. Kivičs said you cannot talk about problems without being labelled negative and aggressive. He stressed that he considers Latvia a great country but wants to understand why it lags behind Lithuania and Estonia in economic development.
Ošlejs objected that Latvia does not trail its neighbours in every area, and stressed that it matters not only to identify problems but also to find solutions. He said Kivičs gave the impression that nothing in Latvia is in order. Kivičs replied that he had never said so, adding: "Latvia is dear to me, I am a patriot."
Ošlejs illustrated his view with a flowerbed comparison: running a country is like tending a garden, where weeds must be pulled but strong plants also need care. At the end of the exchange, Kivičs demanded that the economist apologise publicly if it turned out his words had been misrepresented. Political scientist Filips Rajevskis urged both to calm down.
