Fact-check: Does PM Kulbergs' criticism of NGO funding hold up?

A dispute has emerged in Latvia over state funding flowing to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), triggered by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs. The discussion initially focused on a narrow issue — a payment of 61 euros for a single appearance at a council meeting. However, the question quickly escalated into a broader national debate about what role the NGO sector should play in the state altogether.

The central question at the heart of the dispute is whether the state, by funding NGOs, is effectively maintaining what critics describe as an "army of parasites," or whether it is paying for work that government institutions themselves are unable or unwilling to perform. According to observers, the discussion has exposed a deeper, systemic problem in the relationship between the state and civil society organizations, as well as in how such funding is organized.

The situation is being examined in detail by TVNET's "Faktomāts" project, which is checking how well-founded Kulbergs' claims and accusations against NGO activists actually are. The project seeks to establish the factual basis of a dispute that has stirred strong emotions and polarized opinion in society — some believe state funds are being spent on NGOs wastefully, while others argue these organizations perform work of genuine public value that would otherwise go undone.

Although the dispute began with a seemingly small sum — 61 euros for attending a meeting — it points to a wider tension over state budget priorities and the role the NGO sector plays in Latvia's public and political life.