“It won’t happen in 2030 - there’s no doubt about it.” Latvian politician delivers stark Rail Baltica forecast
Latvian politician Arvils Ašeradens has stated that the Rail Baltica project will not be completed by 2030 due to significant financial mismanagement and rising costs. He suggests the Baltic states must agree on a more modest, financially viable version of the railway to move forward.
Why it matters
The project is a major infrastructure initiative for the Baltic region, and its delays and cost overruns have significant economic and political implications for Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
When it comes to Rail Baltica, Latvia needs to take off its “rose-tinted glasses” – or the “[former transport minister Kaspars] Briškens (P) glasses” – and realistically assess what the country is actually capable of building, Arvils Ašeradens, New Unity’s (JV) candidate for prime minister and former finance minister, said in an interview on LETA’s podcast “Politiķi! Kas tas vispār bija?!”.
“I can say today that the project will not be completed in 2030. There is no doubt about that,” Ašeradens said. In his view, Latvia, together with Estonia and Lithuania, must agree on a minimum, financially viable version of the project.
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