Names of potential candidates for various seats in the government and the Saeima have started circulating both in public space and behind the scenes in Latvia.
The leader of the Saeima faction of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) Viktors Valainis is mentioned as a potential candidate for the post of Saeima speaker.
It is also possible Valainis could take some other post in the new government.
Based on the resolution of this issue it will become clear if the party could suggest the once chairman of the Constitutional Court of Latvia Gunārs Kūtris for the Saeima speaker’s post.
Armands Krauze (ZZS) is considered for the post of Minister of Agriculture.
The seat of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is more and more likely to go to ex-Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš. The head of Saeima’s European Affairs Committee Andris Sprūds could become the next Minister of Defence. The Progressive Party had proposed him for this post prior to the 14th Saeima elections.
It is also possible Progressive Party might propose the former director of Latvia’s National Health Service Edgars Labsvīrs for the post of Minister of Health.
The head of the Saeima faction of Progressive Party Kaspars Briškens previously told LTV programme Rīta panorāma that Labsvīrs was the party’s previous candidate for the post of Minister of Health.
The post of Minister of Transport is the third one that may go to the Progressive Party. Briškens may be the party’s candidate. He has experience in the transport sector, including in the context of Rail Baltica project.
It will be easier to discuss candidates and distribution of seats as negotiations progress. It is predicted that negotiations may continue until the middle of next week.
Discussions continue on whether the Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development (VARAM), which is currently under the Combined List, should go to the Union of Greens and Farmers or New Unity.
If the Union of Greens and Farmers take over this ministry, the party may propose Uldis Augulis as their minister, as he already has experience working in the government.
This party also wants the Ministry of Culture. However, it is unclear whether the party could become in charge of this institution.
It is possible the Union of Greens and Farmers could take over the Ministry of Welfare, as the party already has certain suggestions for this sector.
As for New Unity, no significant changes are expected for this party’s areas of responsibility. It is likely this party’s already elected ministers will continue working in their existing posts.
If New Unity gets the Ministry of the Interior, it is possible the head of Saeima’s Public Expenditure and Audit Committee Rihards Kozlovskis could become minister again.
LETA previously reported that the coalition composed by prime minister candidate Evika Siliņa, consisting of New Unity, Progressive Party, and Union of Greens and Farmers, has started working on the new government’s declaration, coalition agreement and tasks to be completed by December and January.
The new coalition will have 52 votes in the parliament. Honour to Serve Riga chairman Oļegs Burovs, who is an independent Saeima deputy, plans to support this coalition as well.
Also read: VIDEO | Saeima speaker’s post could go to Union of Greens and Farmer, LTV reports