Latvia GDP Growth may Weaken if Talks on EU Multiannual Budget Last until 2021

Zanda Kalnina-Lukasevica, Foreign Ministry’s parliamentary secretary of Latvia states that the country’s GDP growth would likely weaken by 1.3 to 1.5 percent if the negotiations on EU multiannual budget for 2021-2027 would continue until 2021.

Kalnina-Lukasevica further underlined that it is necessary to formulate the deal on the multi-annual budget by May 2019, due to further development of every Latvian national regulation that will reach another two years. If the expected timeline failed to accomplish, then EU investments outflow in Latvia can be seen in summer of 2022. This explains that the 1.3-1.5 percent of the annual GDP growth is a significant factor for the welfare of the country as well as to its wages and growth.

While the delay in  EU funds absorption would cause citizens to look jobs in abroad which could lead to problems in seeking new employees. Moreover, Latvia was able to pay EUR 1.8 billion for the national budget and received EUR 7.4 billion from EU funds, which includes EUR 2.7 billion for Agricultural Policy and EUR 4.7 billion for the Cohesion Policy.