A Turning Point in History on 7 February 2012

Discussion of politicians and spiritual leaders with the President of Latvia.

Politicians, like all people in Latvia, must find what is common, grounded much more deeply in human nature; therefore it is necessary to strengthen the spiritual dimension in politics. “Spirituality and culture are the essential things that can give people and politicians a qualitatively new opportunity for understanding,” believes Saeima deputy Ilmars Latkovskis (VL-TB/LNNK). This was the main topic of conversation on Tuesday at the discussion between politicians and spiritual leaders, “Spiritual Dimension and Politics”, held at Riga Castle and organized by the Office of the President in cooperation with the Saeima Citizenship Law Implementation Commission, which will soon be renamed the Social Cohesion Commission.

The discussion was attended by Roman Catholic Archbishop-Metropolitan Zbignevs Stankevics, pastor Juris Rubenis of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, Metropolitan Aleksandrs of Riga and all Latvia, Father Aleksejs Zilko, chairman of the central council of the Latvian Old Believers' Pomorian Church, and Peteris Sprogis, bishop of the Union of Baptist Churches in Latvia. Deputy Vladimirs Reskajs (SC) gave a presentation on the commission's work, a presentation by deputy Vladimirs Nikonovs (SC) about Old Believers was shown, and architect Peteris Blums gave a presentation on the spiritual dominant in urban architecture. Participants also included representatives of parliamentary political factions: Valdis Zatlers (ZRP), Einars Cilinskis (VL-TB/LNNK), and Ingmars Lidaka (ZZS).

The discussion was mainly about how to give politics more spirituality, while also calling “for clergy on their part to speak out not only at Christmas, but also to help form a new spiritual aristocracy”. In his view, to solve existing problems in the area of social cohesion, a new approach is also needed in political thinking. “Politicians must find an opportunity to rise above party thinking. In the collision of opposing views, the approach that grounds its opinions only in its own correctness, based on legal clauses and differing interpretations of history, has exhausted its possibilities,”

Asked why Riga Castle was chosen for such a meeting between deputies and clergy and why President Andris Berzins was also involved, I. Latkovskis explained that “A. Berzins has always been interested in these issues”. The deputy and the president had discussed these issues more than a month earlier, and, as I. Latkovskis pointed out, the president's presence at such meetings “gives greater weight”. The commission invited A. Berzins to participate in the discussion, and it was the president who proposed holding it with him at Riga Castle.

Similar discussions are also planned in the future, for example with cultural workers or representatives of non-governmental organizations. These are also planned to be held outside parliament, with A. Berzins' participation.

Video recording of the discussion