It was also necessary to indicate whether the candidate for deputy holds any other citizenship and whether he has served (or been an agent) for a foreign (or Soviet) intelligence service. If desired, one could indicate their nationality and marital status. ## What’s in the Wallet Starting this year, candidates for deputies in Latvia must provide more extensive information about themselves – essentially, fill out an income declaration. Until now, such an obligation – to submit an income declaration – was only for already elected deputies. Thus, now anyone interested can familiarize themselves with the financial situation of each candidate for the Saeima of Latvia. The presence of real estate (owned or rented), vehicles, stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments, cash savings (in hand and in bank accounts), issued loans, and existing debt obligations (loans, mortgages, borrowings, etc.) – all of this has become public information. As a result, it turned out that hundreds of candidates for deputies have quite significant debts. But there are also true record holders. ## Pay Back a Million For instance, one candidate for deputy from a new political force, working as a lawyer and procurator, declared a debt of… 1 million 140 thousand euros! However, he was outdone by an entrepreneur who is also running for this same political force – he owes 1 million 700 thousand. In turn, a former deputy of the Saeima, now a consultant for the parliamentary faction, declared a total debt of… 500,914 euros! But this is not the limit – a current deputy of the Saeima, wishing to continue serving the people for another four years, owes a total of over 800 thousand euros. It’s even scary to ask how people sleep with such debts... ## List of Debtors A former deputy of the capital's municipality admitted to a debt of 260 thousand euros. The top debtors include an entrepreneur who indicated 236,378 euros in the "Debt Obligations" section. A deputy of the current Riga City Council turned out to owe over 200 thousand euros. He was surpassed by a deputy from the same faction, who indicated a debt of 244,849 euros. An active parliamentarian and former minister indicated debts totaling nearly 230 thousand euros. Another deputy of the Saeima owes about 242 thousand euros. Several candidates for deputies from the business sector indicated debts in the range of 102-162 thousand euros. To be fair, several large debtors may not be particularly worried about these debts, as they can easily cover them with their existing assets – real estate and/or vehicles. ## Saeima as a Rescue from Bankruptcy? It should be noted that in some cases it is unclear how a candidate for deputy will be able to pay off debts if he does not become a deputy. It is quite possible that people are eager to become deputies to solve their financial problems, considering that even an ordinary parliamentarian receives over 3,000 euros, not counting compensation for transport and/or housing (for non-residents). This means that over four years of work in the Saeima, a Latvian deputy can earn up to 200 thousand euros. And with indexations and compensations, the deputy's income can be even higher. In principle, to become millionaires, one needs to sit in the Latvian Saeima for four terms. Some have succeeded in this. ## Cleansing from Debts By the way, even if a candidate for deputy goes through the procedure of personal insolvency (personal bankruptcy), it will not prevent him from becoming a deputy. Having large debts, in the absence of savings and property, in some cases may serve as a reason for denying access to state secrets if such a debtor is elected as a deputy and requests access, for example, to work in the Saeima's national security committee. Not all debts are the same: among those running for election, there are many people whose debts do not raise particular concerns – they were incurred due to the purchase of an apartment (mortgage) or a car (leasing), and the existing income allows these politicians to pay their bills. ## Creditor Candidates However, not all public servants are mired in debt. Other potential deputies are themselves creditors, meaning they have lent money. One entrepreneur issued loans for a fantastic amount for ordinary mortals – over 1.5 million euros! Such a mini-bank on two legs... There are also candidates for seats in the main legislative body of the country who have accumulated hundreds of thousands of euros in bank accounts (including one current deputy of the Saeima), as well as declared dozens of real estate properties – houses, apartments, land... Thus, they can be considered millionaires based on their existing assets. Some candidates for deputies have distinguished themselves by purchasing real estate abroad, including in Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria... Interestingly, several public servants, apparently avid motorists, own 4-6 cars, including even historic limousines. And one candidate for deputy declared 6 tractors and an excavator. ## Money Under the Pillow There are also many who prefer glass jars to banks, meaning they keep cash at home – some candidates for deputies indicated cash savings in the tens of thousands of euros. Among current parliamentarians, there are those who demonstrate particular financial literacy by investing savings in stocks and bonds, including foreign securities. ## Without Education, Work, and Money? Should voters, when deciding whom to give a "plus" to among candidates, consider the financial situation of these candidates? Firstly, this is something each voter must decide for themselves. Secondly, if a meticulous voter decides to look into the "personal file" of a candidate for deputy, then everything should be taken into account – not only the financial component but also education, work experience... If a person is eager to become a deputy without any education, permanent job, or a penny to their name, then one can hardly expect effective representation of voters' interests and quality work in the legislative sphere from them. Miracles do not happen – a person who could not ensure their own well-being is unlikely to be able to raise the well-being of the country. Overall, the new requirement for candidates for deputies allows voters to gain more information about new and old politicians. And this may influence the choices of the citizens of Latvia.