Minister: PM’s proposal for ruling coalition’s preservation is too much like an ultimatum

The proposal suggested by Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš’s for the preservation of the ruling coalition by rotating three ministers and refusing any new budget initiative sounds too much like an ultimatum, said Minister of Culture, National Alliance board member Nauris Puntulis in an interview to Latvijas Radio.
He stressed that offering cooperation in the form of an ultimatum is not a good tone. Puntulis believes the PM would do better to present offers in a calmer and more diplomatic way.

NA politicians are also confused what exactly the PM doesn’t like in the work done by Minister of Economy Ilze Indriksone,

because Puntulis has not heard anyone say anything bad about her so far.
As Minister of Culture, Puntulis is especially concerned about the PM’s insistence for the government to agree on five shared priorities and not submit any budget initiatives. According to him, this basically means he will not be able to perform his duties as minister – fight for the sector’s interests in areas like securing bigger wages for culture workers.

At the 11th of August meeting NA hopes to receive answers from Kariņš to many questions.

Puntulis refrained from predicting any outcome from this meeting. He also said it is difficult for him to say if Kariņš put forward his ultimatum to preserve the current government or specifically to create a new coalition.
More on this topic: Latvian PM proposes to preserve existing coalition by re-distributing three minister posts