RIGA, March 27 (LETA) - Support for families in Latvia's regions must be targeted, coordinated, and transparent, Saeima Speaker Daiga Mierina (Greens/Farmers) said at the opening of the conference "Municipal support for families with children: good practice, differences and the way to uniform accounting of public funds" on Friday.

Mierina noted that the demographic issue in Latvia is ever-present, and this is no coincidence, as the population has decreased by more than 800,000 since 1990. In Mierina's opinion, this is a critical moment that requires responsible action.

At the same time, Mierina acknowledged that there are also positive trends. In particular, as the speaker noted, with the standard of living rising, the people who arrived in Latvia was higher than those who departed in 2024. "This shows not only broader geopolitical changes, but also a sense of belonging to the country and a desire to build a future here," said Mierina.

At the same time, she pointed out that this is not enough, as security is an important prerequisite. The war in Ukraine is still going on, and tensions are rising in the Middle East as well, Mierina added. The cost of living is changing rapidly and often unpredictably. But the desire to start a family comes at a time when the fear of tomorrow is diminishing, Mierina said.

"Although we cannot influence global processes, we can act at the national level by purposefully strengthening the well-being of young families and creating an environment where raising children is a safe and supported choice," said the Saeima speaker, citing the example of an affordable basket of services that can be accessed as close to the home as possible, also reducing the outflow of people from regions.

"It is necessary to strengthen the conviction in society that the family is a valuable asset, and that children are a priority for all of us and are perceived as full members of society," the speaker said.

In Mierina's view, support for families in the regions should be targeted, coordinated and transparent. She believes that a unified system helps to assess whether the state's demographic goals are being implemented in practice.

Mierina noted that the Saeima has also been actively involved in this issue, and on her initiative, the Sustainable Development and Demography Committee will be launched in the 15th Saeima. This means that demography will always be on the agenda of the Saeima, Mierina said.

Auditor General Edgars Korcagins pointed out that the State Audit Office has in recent years devoted a number of audits to issues related to support for children and families, including benefits and support in the form of quality public services.

Both material support and services play an important role in promoting demography, Korcagins said. At the same time, he acknowledged that the implementation of a number of key recommendations from these audits has so far failed to take off, sometimes due to a lack of political agreement.

Korcagins noted that this is an election year and a new government will be formed after the new parliament is elected, providing new opportunities to build political support for necessary but stalled ideas. That is why the State Audit Office will compile and present to partners in the next government coalition recommendations based on the audits, which have an impact on supporting children and parents and could also be useful during the preparation of the government's declaration, the auditor general said.