The four parties attempting to form Latvia’s new government under the leadership of Andris Kulbergs of the Apvienotais saraksts (AS) have already divided areas of responsibility among themselves, although the names of specific ministerial candidates will only be announced tomorrow, Kulbergs stated after a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
According to the current plan, politicians from Apvienotais saraksts in Kulbergs’ government would lead the Finance Ministry, the Justice Ministry, and the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development. All three ministries are currently headed by prominent politicians from New Unity (JV).
The National Alliance (NA) is expected to take charge of the Education and Science Ministry, the Culture Ministry, the Interior Ministry, and the Climate and Energy Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) will largely retain its current positions, losing only control over the Climate and Energy Ministry. The alliance is expected to keep the position of Speaker of the Saeima and lead the Economy, Welfare, and Agriculture ministries.
New Unity, for its part, would retain responsibility only for foreign affairs and healthcare,
while also taking over leadership of the Defense and Transport ministries — portfolios that in recent months have faced the greatest public scrutiny and controversy.
Kulbergs did not reveal whether former Prime Minister Evika Siliņa could become defense minister, despite her recently expressed interest in the position.
Kulbergs repeatedly emphasized that the timeframe given for forming the government had been extremely short and that creating a coalition had seemed nearly impossible. However, he said it had proven that “the impossible is possible” when all parties work constructively.
He explained that the process had been structured so that each political force would carry equal responsibility within the government and that no internal tension would be built into the coalition from the outset.
“Working during the remaining months until the parliamentary elections,
tension and intrigue are unnecessary and must not be embedded into the very foundations of the government,”
Kulbergs stated.
He again named security and the organization of upcoming elections as the top priorities of the future government.
Kulbergs is expected to announce the names of specific ministerial candidates tomorrow around midday.
According to him, the new government declaration should be kept as short as possible, since including four- or five-year programs would be pointless. Instead, it should focus on practical and achievable tasks that can realistically be completed before the elections.
As previously reported, following the collapse of the government led by Evika Siliņa, President Edgars Rinkēvičs tasked Kulbergs with forming a new government, giving parties slightly more than one week for negotiations.
The new coalition is expected to consist of Apvienotais saraksts, the National Alliance, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and New Unity.
A preliminary coalition agreement has already been signed, serving as the basis for further negotiations on government priorities. It has also become known that positions may be distributed according to a principle of equality, with each political force receiving four positions, including the offices of Prime Minister and Speaker of the Saeima.
The signed agreement stipulates that coalition partners will not advance issues for consideration unless unanimous agreement has been reached among all participating parties. The parties also committed not to support proposals related to the state budget without joint political backing.
Strengthening national security has been defined as one of the coalition’s key priorities. The parties pledged full support for defense and internal security services, including strengthening the border, developing air defense, and improving Latvia’s internal and external security.
Plans also include expanding the use of drone technologies, improving the civil protection system,
and strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure during crises. Additional measures are planned to tighten immigration control and strengthen oversight of residence permit issuance.
The coalition agreement further states that the government will continue its consistent support for Ukraine and advocate for maintaining and strengthening sanctions policy against Russia.
At the same time, coalition partners pledged not to roll back previously achieved standards in human rights, including in combating violence and ensuring gender equality.
Fighting corruption, cartels, and economic crimes has been identified as another priority area. Planned measures include improving oversight of public procurement, expanding the use of digital solutions, and strengthening election security through more direct involvement of the prime minister.
In the economic sphere,
the coalition intends to implement budget stabilization measures,
including reviewing state procurement, limiting unjustified bonus payments, and improving transparency in public finances.
At the same time, guaranteed funding for defense is planned, alongside a priority increase in healthcare financing, depending on budgetary possibilities.
The agreement also addresses oversight of major state projects. Regarding Rail Baltica, closer coordination at the prime ministerial level is planned, while future development scenarios for airBaltic are expected to be evaluated by the end of the summer.
In the social sphere, emphasis has been placed on demography and family support, including developing a family-friendly environment and improving equal access to healthcare for children.
The coalition also plans the gradual introduction of a basic pension and further reforms of the healthcare system.
In addition, the future government intends to actively defend Latvia’s interests in negotiations over the European Union’s multiannual budget, paying particular attention to funding for security, agriculture, cohesion policy, and strategically important infrastructure projects.
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