No coalition in Latvia is possible without Combined List party, partners agree

The National Alliance (NA) and New Unity (JV) agree that it will not be possible to compose a functional coalition in the 14th Saeima without at least three partners. These being National Alliance, New Unity and Combined List (AS), as journalists were told by NA chairman Raivis Dzintars after meeting with representatives from JV.
The politician believes AS and JV have to reach a compromise and move on with the government formation process.
Dzintars said he sees two ways out of this situation – neither of them good. One option is to keep digging to the point of falling apart, which would mean difficult cooperation in the future, he said. The other option is slightly better – spending a bit more time discussing and resolving problems and finding a compromise at last. This way it will be possible to progress with formation of the government, said the NA politician.

NA understands arguments from JV and AS, he said. According to him, it would be easier to compose the government’s declaration once an agreement on distribution of seats in the government is finally reached.

He did say that existing cooperation mechanisms between ministries are insufficient.
The party respects the effort PM Krišjānis Kariņš has put into the government formation process and his suggestion to reach an agreement on seats in ministries and then tackling the government declaration. However, he also said NA understands AS’s position as well.
According to Dzintars, coalition partners should make all haste to commence trilateral negotiations to see which Cabinet of Ministers structure they can agree on and which approach towards mutual cooperation among ministries they expect. Dzintars said JV admits this is a problem, and all of them would benefit from its quick resolution.

«All of us should count to ten,» NA chairman suggested, adding that government formation process should not repeat the last government’s mistakes, as it took several months to compose Latvia’s previous government.

Dzintars also said any disagreements and controversies should be resolved now.
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