Former Latvian Prime Minister, passionate rocker and tennis player Ivars Godmanis recounts his experiences from before the fall of the iron curtain to his work as an MEP.

Close to You: A legendary figure in Latvia

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16195428/m005-0032-en.srt

but a legendary figure in Latvian politics,  Ivars Godmanis, now an MEP.

In 2008, as the then Latvian Prime Minister,  he came on stage in a crowded arena

Rock has been a passion of Godmanis  since the Soviet era

Politically, everything was done  not to allow this way of life of the youth

I was taken into custody  where policemen cut my hair.

They restrained you,  cut your hair and said, 'Get out!'

I'll always remember  the Communists for those things.

Happy New Year!  -Best wishes to you too.

Sixty-one-year-old Godmanis,  who speaks English, German and Russian,

Pour moi, la problème... le problème?  -Le problème...

French is useful for greeting foreigners  who now live and work in the capital.

It's very good, it's winter.  -I was in Brussels. There was no snow.

Ivars Godmanis has a meeting  with the Latvian Association of Large Cities.

What will the EU's next  seven-year budget look like?

As a new Member State,  Latvia is particularly concerned

about a fair allocation of cohesion funds  and aid for agriculture.

in the EP's Committees on Budgets  and Regional Development.

People always think that those  who become Members of the Parliament

have only one objective: to protect  national interests in the Parliament.

If everyone were to do only this,  the European Union would split apart.

that working as an MEP is easier  than being a Prime Minister.

During our meeting with Godmanis  in Brussels we saw that he is concerned,

Of course, compared to his time  in Latvian politics,

Godmanis' activities in the European  Parliament are not so visible back home.

It's hard to say whether it's his own fault  or whether the local media lacks interest.

People are more interested in  what's going on in Latvia,

and Brussels seems far away to them.  They see no connection with their daily life.

So there isn't much demand  for information on what MEPs do.

Doctor of physics Ivars Godmanis,  called the 'crisis politician' in Latvia,

He's been a Prime Minister twice, the last  time it was at the beginning of the crisis,

but he was also  the first head of government

when Latvia regained its independence  from the Soviet Union.

We made a major effort  to introduce our currency,

we started privatisation, we gave land back,  we got away from the soviets.

At the end of the day, there are people who  are happy and people who are not happy.

Soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union  PM Godmanis gave a press conference

announcing the introduction  of the national currency.

Good evening, dear TV viewers,  Latvian people.

The National Currency Committee  of the Republic of Latvia has decided

to gradually start the introduction  of our national currency, the Lats.

Paradoxically, 20 years later,  MEP Godmanis is convincing his voters

that Latvia must adopt the euro,  the single currency, in 2014.

Local radio journalists are asking about the  pluses and minuses of introducing the euro

and Godmanis jokes  that abandoning the national currency

'Times they are a-changin',  as Bob Dylan sings.

If you look rationally,  the euro as a currency is stable.

The major problems of the Greek  programme have been resolved.

With Ireland, the situation  has absolutely improved.

Godmanis has played tennis  from the age of six.

Is the skill of deflecting an opponent's  serves and strong attacks

also useful for working in the Parliament?

Offensive and defensive language  is not the right language.

There is no sense in increasing  the emotional tone:

'We deserve', 'We need',  'Somebody is obliged to pay us more.'

because the European way  is to use rational, economic reasoning,