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INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 RIGA 000348 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR LG
SUBJECT: Peoples Party's Junkyard Dog: Gundars Berzins 
 
¶1. Summary. For almost a year, one of the leading members of the 
People's Party (TP) Gundars Berzins has regularly given interviews 
to daily paper Neatkariga Rita Avize (NRA) where he harshly and 
offensively criticizes developments, institutions, persons that 
according to his views hamper the implementation of the TP's 
intentions and policies. A constant object of his criticism has been 
the U.S., in particular the Embassy and the former Ambassador, who 
according to Berzins, was "intervening in Latvia's domestic affairs 
and squeezing Latvian politicians like lemons." His influence within 
the party, as well as the lack of any desire by others in the party 
to distance themselves from his statements leads to a conclusion 
that Berzins' statements are something more than personal views of 
Mr. Berzins.  While they may not be the official views of TP, party 
leaders certainly see value in a bit of anti-American rhetoric for 
their voters.  End summary. 
 
¶2. For almost a year one of the most influential People's Party 
members Gundars Berzins has had a series of interviews mostly with a 
daily NRA (the fact, that the daily is owned by Ventspils Mayor 
Aivars Lembergs should not be underestimated either).  Each 
interview is full of extremely rude, often obscene, statements aimed 
at various high officials. His attacks started last fall just before 
the previous Ambassador gave a speech at the University of Latvia on 
the status of rule of law in Latvia. Berzins reproached the U.S. 
Ambassador for what he termed constant interventions into Latvian 
domestic affairs and attacked Latvian politicians for being too weak 
to oppose her. 
 
¶3. Then followed a series of interviews where Berzins continued 
voicing strong anti-American stances along with harsh criticism 
towards any official, and institution, including "Diena," the 
anti-corruption bureau (KNAB) and its chief Loskutovs, Latvian 
President Zatlers, intelligence (SAB) chief Kazocins, Prosecutor 
General Maizitis, and others.  The level of criticism seemed in 
direct proportion to activities that might run counter to the 
interests of TP or its supporters.  As debate began on the 
possibility of reelecting Kazocins, Berzins claimed (falsely) that 
Kazocins visitd the Embassy 2 - 3 times a week and compared him to a 
kitchen maid for the US Ambassador. 
 
¶4. His statements are often openly rude and provocative. For 
instance, when asked to comment on a statement of former Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks [when Pabriks decided to resign as 
minister and also leave TP Pabriks stated that some comments of the 
TP oldest members, clearly meaning Berzins, on alleged US 
intervention in Latvia's affairs are not acceptable] Berzins 
responded "the little boy should change his wet pampers, put on the 
new ones and then come out to the public and reveal his true views 
on restitution to the Jewish community." (adding some anti-Semitism 
to go with anti-Americanism).  Berzins did not spare even President 
Zatles, although he was among a handful of people who participated 
in the selection and "training" of the candidate. In one interview, 
following the collapse of the Kalvitis government and after Zatlers 
rejected TP's candidate for PM, Berzins compared President Zatlers 
to a carpet that just lays there and where one can urinate or even 
defecate on.  (Comment: The President is reported to have had a 
colorful reaction in his own right.  End comment.) 
 
¶5. More recently, as the scandal on money missing from the KNAB has 
grown, Berzns has suggested that there is a "cancer" in the security 
institutions that threatens Latvia.  He has been especially critical 
of KNAB chief Loskutovs.  Loskutovs and his supporters note with a 
combination or amusement and disbelief that last fall, during 
Kalvitis' attempts to remove Loskutovs, Berzins talked about more 
than 100,000 lats being missing from KNAB -- a fact that did not 
become known to the KNAB or prosecutors office until April of this 
year. 
 
¶6. The response of TP members is notable for often being 
non-existent.  None of Berzins' statements have been officially 
supported by his party or individual members. At the same time, 
there have not been any attempts of the party or its individual 
members to condemn or distance themselves from the offensive and 
ungrounded statements. The usual response of individual party 
members when asked to comment the statements has been that those are 
personal views of Gundars Berzins and he has the right to voice his 
personal views.  While people who are not related to TP are not 
convinced that those are simply Berzins' personal views because of 
his status within the party. 
 
¶7. Comment: Berzins statements should be seen in the context of his 
status within the TP. Berzins is probably the second most 
influential person within the party, after founder Andris Skele. 
Berzins was one of a original founders of the party and has managed 
to remain one of Skele's closest associates. He has been quite 
successful in public politics: he has been elected to parliament 
several times, including the last two parliaments. In 2004, he 
became minister of health in the Kalvitis government and continued 
to be a health minister also in the next Kalvitis government after 
the 2006 elections, resigning in 2007 saying he needed to rest. Some 
signs of anti-Americanism were observed when he strongly lobbied 
prohibition of the sale of Coca-cola in schools in 2006.  The rules 
he proposed unfairly targeted Coca-Cola in comparison to other 
 
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similar brands and he refused multiple offers by the company to 
discuss alternative resolutions to his concerns. After leaving 
politics, he claimed that he would fully devote himself to farming 
business. However, he is still quite a visible figure in Latvian 
political scene - he is believed to be the one who noticed potential 
prime ministers in Kalvitis and TP nominee last fall to succeed 
Kalvitis, Kuldiga mayor Edgars Zalans. He is also participating in 
all crucial high level and quite often confidential inter-party 
meetings. From time to time, his name is mentioned as a potential TP 
candidate for the post of Prime Minister. 
 
¶8. Comment, cont: Most of Berzins' statements are not based on 
verifiable facts and his tone is often simply offensive and rude. 
However, the statements should not be underestimated either, because 
they are published in one of the biggest Latvian dailies and the 
timing and content of the interviews seem to be rather well planned. 
Whatever the reason for them and whatever the origin, his statements 
are used as an instrument to a voice within TP on issues which could 
not be included in its official policy, including attacking the U.S. 
 Nevertheless, these views resonate with a certain part of the 
electorate, so TP is perfectly happy to reap the political benefit 
of such attacks. 
 
LARSON