However, Baklāni-Ansberg, who won the competition, was not elected as the deputy executive director of Riga

On the other hand, Olafs Pulks (JV) called to be aware that by discrediting the job competitions held by the municipality in this way, “Progressivie” will ensure that professionals will not participate in them.

“If we want to hold job competitions, then we trust the competition commission. If not, then we don’t play theater and say that there will be no competitions and we promote political candidates to positions,” Pulks said.

It is planned to introduce a deputy to the executive director of the city of Riga, who will be entrusted with the duties of the head of the Central Administration of Riga Municipality.

The competition for this position was announced on November 27 last year, and 30 applications were received. The evaluation of applicants took place in three rounds. Baklāne-Ansberga won the highest number of points in the competition. The nomination commission established by the municipality, which also included representatives of non-governmental organizations, unanimously adopted the decision on the result of the competition.

After the end of the competition, the issue of Baklāne-Ansberga’s appointment was not brought to the council meeting for a long time, as the political forces represented in the municipality resolved their mutual relations and blamed political influences on the candidate.

As the LETA agency was informed by the municipality, Baklāne-Ansberga obtained a Master of Social Sciences degree in economics and a Master of Social Sciences degree in management at the University of Latvia.

Since 2020, Baklāne-Ansberga has been performing the duties of a board member in the state joint-stock company “Elektriskie Sakari”.

From 2018 to August of last year, she was the general director of VVD, previously worked in the municipality of Ventspils and from 2010 to 2016 held the position of general director of the State Land Service.

Baklāne-Ansberga left the post of VVD head in the summer of 2023 after disagreements with the minister responsible for the industry at the time, Māri Sprindžuks (AS). Springjuks told the LETA agency at the time that the purpose of the change of the head of the service was to achieve significant changes in the work of the service. The main goal is to change the “primitive “ban everything” approach” to one aimed at cooperation and delegation of responsibility to municipalities and citizens, increasing self-control.