This Italian region now has Europe’s highest Tibetan bridge
It’s not for the faint-hearted
The delayed adoption of the city’s budget allowed for authorities to take into account the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
As TheMayor.EU has reported on numerous occasions, the Latvian capital of Riga has had its fair share of political upheaval which in the end resulted in the suspension of the elected City Council and the inauguration of an interim administration. That in turn, led to chaos in terms of many procedures that are time-sensitive – such as the adoption of a municipal budget.
With a pandemic on their hands and with pressing deadlines, the appointed officials, to no one’s surprise, adopted the new Riga city budget with a delay - at the beginning of April. But due to the strange set of circumstances that they found themselves in, that provided them with an opportunity to quickly adapt their economic plans to the unravelling pandemic.
Acting fast, officials included a reserve fund worth 13.8 million euros meant to safeguard and reboot the Latvian capital’s local economy in the aftermath of COVID-19 and the state-imposed lockdown.
Nearly half of the reserve will most likely be spent by the end of the first half of the year – with the majority of funding going towards the bailout of the local public transport company “Rīgas satiksme” which incurred heavy losses during the lockdown. The combination of strict quarantine measures and the general discouragement of travel resulted in a sharp drop of sales of bus tickets which combined with additional hygienic requirements, in the end, resulted in the accumulation of over 2 million euros in losses by the company.
The fund has also been used to compensate the losses by the Riga Zoo, as well as to cover the expenses of the local Welfare Department and other social care institutions.
Officials believe that 6-7 million euros will remain in the fund for the second half of 2020 which will be used according to other needs – including for the preparation of a possible 2nd wave of COVID-19.
What are the reasons for that and are there any possible solutions for that problem?
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
It’s not for the faint-hearted
Presenting the next chapter in the Dutch capital’s ‘Stay Away’ campaign aimed at rowdy tourists
The City says this has become a necessity due to the increasing number of incidents involving these vehicles
That way you can notify a canal lock keeper to open the gates so the animals can swim through
The organizers had been considering different Parisian spots, but always with the idea of the flame being visible to the people
Electricity production in that Eastern European country will not release direct CO2 emissions anymore
Possibly making it the only legislature in the world with a religious temple on-site
This initiative is not just about making books more accessible – it has larger ambitions in its sights
We owe the unusual cultural icon to this country in Europe
The country’s capital has been a pioneer in crafting policy and initiatives to improve coexistence between people and pets
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team