Latvia

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has previously expressed his dissatisfaction with Russian cargo crossing the country, but the trains are still running. Critics are now calling for a unilateral ban on what they term 'bloody grain,' arguing that the government can act without waiting for permission from Brussels. One commentator suggested that if the Prime Minister continues to prioritize transit profits over ethics, he is effectively selling out the nation.

The governing coalition is also reconsidering its own shape. Finance Minister Māris Kučinskis has indicated he is open to merging more ministries, a reorganization the United List party has been seeking. Meanwhile, budget experts warn that if the government cannot agree on a fiscal plan, it will be forced to rely on a 'technical budget' that would effectively freeze its agenda.

Public discontent is taking different forms in the capital. Cultural workers are protesting wages they describe as catastrophic, demanding a raise to the public sector average over three years. Near the City Council, the medium of protest was more literal: a pile of vegetables dumped on the street to signal frustration with local catering contracts.