This government has only one way, to go away on its own. Raimonds Pauls is a Latvian composer and piano player who is well known in Russia and the Baltic States, indeed, much further afield. He was the Minister of culture of Latvia from 1988 to 1993.

The internationally famous composer is scathing about the Riga government’s hapless political elite: ‘The people are laughing at the government, but it doesn’t seem to know’, Maestro Raimonds Pauls said in an interview with the Independent.

‘This government, well, does not know how to run a country like that, especially in a crisis. Then there is only one way, to go away yourself but no one is going anywhere. 

‘Sometimes I look at those remote sittings of the Saeima (parliament). Well, sorry, what about those meetings? But everything is already completely out of touch. When we found out what can and should not be bought on Saturdays. Toothpicks should not be bought. It is forbidden to buy vodka on weekends, the purchase of toys and tinsel is forbidden but not Christmas trees. Are they living in Cloud Cuckoo Land? Who produces such lists of denial? Specifically, what? Can’t this person come out and tell you about this nonsense? You can’t understand, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry,’ added the famous composer.

It is a good thing you can laugh. And so it is in life: the people call for government, but it doesn’t seem to know. I always wonder: how do these people get to such positions,’ Paul continued.

He pointed out that instead of thinking about how to further develop an economy that is now virtually closed, these people are thinking about how to free themselves from criminal responsibility:

‘But now everything is closed,  both catering and hotels. Riga already lived on tourists. We will see the consequences of all this later. And when you start thinking about it, you realise: ‘there must be something else up there, something else going on that we don’t know about.’ Source Labdien

Raimond Pauls Raimonds Pauls “Teātris” ( “Театр” )