On the Nord Stream, we have a very clear position. We oppose such a project that undermines the sovereignty of certain countries in Europe. They will become more dependent on Russian gas as well. It's in violation of the EU Energy Union principles as well and, of course, it's interconnected with the Russian ambitions to influence either politicians or businesses within the European Union.
The Latvian position hasn't changed in any documents or in any national positions that we are expressing at the EU institutions. We oppose this project, and we try to persuade other member states to do the same. We would be happy if this project were abolished once and for all. I'm on the record. I would welcome sanctioning Nord Stream 2. I would welcome that, particularly as there are double standards, as certain member states actually are portraying right now, particularly with regard to Nord Stream 2.
We have a package of sanctions against Russia with regard to Russia's aggression in eastern Ukraine and the illegal annexation of the Crimea, but in the meantime, you're developing a project that is affecting that particular country being attacked by Russia. Of course, you could argue that those are only purely economic means and nothing else, but no. Maybe for certain European member states it's an economic one, but for us it's purely political as a soft power, in order to further its influence in politics and affairs within the European Union. I guess that the Nord Stream 2 in general is actually the one that is further fragmenting the European member states.
On your final question on corruption, we don't have oligarchs by the classical.... Yes, we have individuals who are somewhat connected with wealth and politics, but in the past eight years their impact has been reduced dramatically. In 2012, Parliament was dismissed because one of the so-called oligarchs in Latvia was a member of Parliament and the general prosecutor's office asked to investigate his apartment or something like that. You have to get consent from Parliament, and Parliament turned down the general prosecutor's request. The president, based on that issue, in decree number two dismissed Parliament and called for extraordinary elections. Since then, corruption is still there, but not on such scales and in such operations. This is something that we are taking very seriously and addressing.
Right now, we have a new head of the anti-corruption bureau. At first, everybody was slightly skeptical. Nothing happened for a year or so, and everybody thought it was another appointment that would serve some group of interests and so on, but in the end, what we see right now is that Riga is affected by the biggest corruption scandal since restoring our independence. Again, I have to mention that the Riga municipality is run by the pro-Russia party, which has an agreement with the United Russia party, so there you can find the linkages. In that connection, maybe I answered your question from the Russian oligarch point of view.