There is no new government, and goodness knows when there will be. What is more, no one has any idea what landowners can expect from it – will it be restrictive, or, conversely, greater freedom of choice, new restrictions on economic activity initiated by environmentalists, or reasonable solutions where economically efficient and rational management is compatible with nature conservation? Of course, there are interest groups currently sharpening their “daggers” to use the hands of the newcomers to strike at the most vulnerable spots of other groups. But whether they will succeed is something “no one has any idea about, because there is no clue what to expect from the next government.”

It could be said that there are several opinions on this issue – the most frequently heard one is that nothing will change, even though it is not just Latvia that is in a process of change, but also the European Union and indeed the entire planet Earth. Of course, the global scale and Latvia are two different dimensions. The European Union and Latvia are in a “joint marriage”, but in essence, within this union, each country orbits in its own path and has its own interests. No matter how many thresholds Latvian landowners might polish in the corridors of Brussels and Strasbourg, the most significant factor was, is, and will be the stance of the Latvian government — its position on specific issues. The current government is one that exists and works de jure, but does not really function de facto. The reason is prosaic — there were elections.

The people have had their say. The majority has spoken – we want change, BUT it has not been said what that should look like. As a result, it is a time of great opportunity for fortune-tellers, excuse me, for all sorts of other “windows” to bask on television screens and explain, excuse me, to educate those same voters about what they really wanted – to punish the old guard for being in power, or because they are sick of the faces of the old guard and want to see new – different – faces. Furthermore, some claim that after the elections cows give more milk and winter crops sprout faster, while others claim the exact opposite – that cows have “stopped” giving milk and hungry wild boars have dug up the winter crops. So to speak, everyone, or at least some, are happy. Although the elections are slowly sinking into the mists of the past, the future, towards which the new sun-guides will lead the Latvian people in the coming century, is still shrouded in thick darkness. As is well known, money loves silence and landowners love clarity, but, alas, thick clouds of fog are rolling from the meeting places of the newly elected parliamentarians via television and radio “apparatus”.

In such conditions, investing in one’s land is not only risky, but it might turn out that the money thrown into the land is a trifle compared to the damage caused to NATURE. While the new politicians who have won their mandates fight hard battles over WHO will sit in which PLACE and WHO will command WHAT and HOW, the clock is ticking. Meanwhile, various interest groups, especially their activists, are busily probing for allies in higher offices outside the country. That sounds too vague?! Yes, indeed! BUT the European Parliament has just given the green light to new, massive changes that will affect us all. Namely, by 2030, CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles must be reduced by 35%. Fine, landowners only need heavy goods vehicle services during harvest time, but at the same time, CO2 emissions will also be on the new government's agenda, as Latvia will have to reduce their volume. One can laugh that Latvia does not have SUCH production anyway and that all the chimneys smoking from burning coal have been plugged, yet these wastes – emissions – are also created by ploughing land, oh yes, and also by cattle! We have big plans here – to reclaim land for agricultural production that was used for this purpose 20 years ago; nothing suggests that the global demand for food products is shrinking, as the total population on the planet continues to grow, even though the opposite is happening in Latvia – the emptying of rural areas and depopulation throughout the country. The Paris Agreement, which is ignored by the world superpower the USA, says: we really won't be able to carry on like this. How our own appointed managers view this, it seems, does not need explaining to anyone, all the more so if the apologists for the ideas or other all-knowing activists talk about how achieving the climate goals set by the EU – reducing emissions by 85% compared to 1990 – will mean a COMPLETELY different world and economy. If one can believe the scribblers, we have already reached the point where petrol, diesel, natural gas, and cement will be things of fairy tales, legends, and myths, but as for what will replace them, for now, there are only dreams.

What will this mean for landowners whose properties will not have any specific restrictions? Fantastic opportunities – because everything necessary – food, building materials, and also fuel – will have to be produced on the land. Competition between these products and, possibly, others will be enormous – this also means good prices, provided that iron horses can be used in land cultivation, the production of which, however, creates CO2 emissions, over which there is an intense struggle in both various offices and in people's heads. In the name of such ideas, “smallholders” should not greet the next friend of nature onto their property with a twisted face, but rather take them by the hand and promise eternal friendship to add momentum to this whole process. A bad idea?! Perhaps! But if the order of global agreements foresees something like this, then it is possible that the existence or non-existence of local authorities, and even more so the people who are in them, are unimportant. Therefore, do not “get stressed” about those whose duty it is to come and eventually leave, because in the end, the seasons also replace one another, and politicians are no exception. Yes, they can influence something here on the ground in our own duck pond, but in the global ocean, others have the final say!

And finally – it is not those elected to the Saeima who will milk cows, sow fields, or plant forests. That was done and will only be done by the LANDOWNERS, but politicians should understand that they exist to defend, as much as their feeble strength allows, this land and its people, not just to “sit out their four-year term” during which they do not have to think about what to put in their mouths, or what, where, and how much to plant.