Zemgale border residents question parties’ promises on services

Residents of two parishes on Latvia’s Lithuanian border say access to services is unequal and view political parties’ promises with scepticism, according to a Latvian Radio report by Daina Zalamane published by LSM.

In Kurmene parish, in Bauska municipality, fewer than 500 people live along the Memele River, which marks the border with Lithuania. Baiba Ziemele, a lawyer who moved there from Riga with her husband five years ago, has set up a youth centre in the former Kurmene school. She says education and healthcare are key concerns as she raises their third child.

Residents campaigned this spring to keep Skaistkalne Secondary School open, and it remained open. Ziemele said local healthcare was not on a par with what was available in Riga, adding that a children’s hospital had saved her children.

In Mazzalve parish, the population has fallen below 1,000. A pensioner there said he had not noticed improvements in healthcare. The report also noted that local amateur-group leaders have waited for pay rises for years, while business owners are sceptical of political parties’ high-profile promises. A teacher said rural children also want a good education, and a farmer said there was much to learn from neighbouring countries.

Zemgale is a major agricultural region. The report said farmland there was the most expensive in Latvia last year, averaging 6,300 to 6,500 euros per hectare, and that the region produced nearly 8% of the country’s gross domestic product.