In recent days considerable progress was made in regards to the directions of the new coalition and distribution of seats in the new government, as President Egils Levits informed after his meeting with New Unity (JV) leader Krišjānis Kariņš on Monday, 15 November.
In addition to the solution proposed by Kariņš, the Ministry of Defence, which is responsibility of the National Alliance, will have a vice-minister post, which will be granted to a representative of the Combined List (AS) political party. The tasks of the vice-minister and their amount will be made clear in time. It is likely they will be related to civil protection during military threats, informed the JV politician.
The other agreement provides for leaving the environment sector under Ministry of Regional Development and Digital Affairs, said Kariņš. The Climate Office will migrate to the new Ministry of Climate and Energy. Parties will continue discussions in regards to the departments this new ministry is to take over.
Last weekend parties met in private to discuss seats in ministries, as well as cross-sectoral cooperation, said the politician.
The schedule for negotiations is shifted by one week. Kariņš will head discussions of the text redaction of the government declaration until Friday, 18 November. Starting with 21 November, however, work will commence on the consolidated redaction of the government declaration.
President Levits informed that next week he may formally nominate Kariņš for the post of prime minister, as well as the next Cabinet of Ministers.
Although Kariņš is already in charge of coalition negotiations, he is not yet formally nominated for the PM’s seat.
As the president mentioned after his meeting with Kariņš this Monday, the two of them agreed Kariņš will submit the first draft of the new government’s objectives at the beginning of next week. If this draft «meets all the priorities necessary to ensure the country is able to move forward», the president will formally nominate Kariņš for the PM’s seat.
Levits did not mention any specific date this could happen. He did say he hopes it will happen at the start of the week.
It can be concluded that in recent days considerable progress was made in relation to important directions of the new government, said the president. The main sign of progress, according to the president, is the agreement on the distribution of seats in ministries.
From Tuesday, 15 November, onward parties will start working on the government declaration, said Levits.
When asked to comment on the disagreements between AS and JV, the president said this ‘is a normal parliamentary procedure’. Parties with different programmes competed with one another in elections. Several weeks passed until it became clear which parties will compose the coalition, Levits informed.
According to him, the next step was distribution of seats in ministries. He said parties have «achieved foundation». This is why the president believes work on the government declaration will become faster. «There will be discussions and some time will be necessary, but I am confident and hopeful next week Kariņš will submit the first draft of the declaration. Hopefully it will be clear then that the coalition is solid and that its goals include transformation of the economy and catching up to neighbours,» said the president.
According to Kariņš’s proposal, his party – JV – will receive seven seats in the new government. New Unity is set to receive the Prime Minister’s seat, as well as take charge over the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Climate and Energy and Ministry of Welfare.
The Combined List has the Saeima speaker’s seat and will receive four ministries: Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Healthcare and Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development.
The National Alliance is to receive four ministries: Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Economics.
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