Braže: decisions on undesirable persons rest on institutional review, not politicians' whims
Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Braže explained on TV24 that including Russian citizens on Latvia's list of undesirable persons follows an institutional review process rather than an individual politician's decision. She rejected the notion that the inclusion of Jūlija Stepaņenko's father was tied to pre-election rivalry.
Foreign Minister and 15th Saeima candidate Baiba Braže addressed on the TV24 program "Globuss" how Russian citizens end up on Latvia's list of undesirable persons, touching specifically on the case of politician Jūlija Stepaņenko's father.
Decision based on assessment
Braže stressed that such decisions are not made by a single politician acting on personal initiative. Instead, the process involves specialists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with other relevant state institutions, who examine each case from multiple angles before a final decision is reached.
Rejecting political motives
The minister declined to accept the suggestion that this particular person's inclusion on the list was linked to pre-election competition with political rivals. She explained that preparatory work on the matter had already begun before her trip to New York, and that she herself had only returned to Latvia on the afternoon of the relevant day — meaning the decision process was not tied to her personal schedule or location.
Legal basis
Braže noted that such decisions rest on a specific legal basis, with the process involving the gathering and assessment of information about the person concerned before a final ruling on their inclusion on the list is made.
