Ilona Bērziņa, BNN
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš’s proposal to rotate three ministers for the sake of preserving the ruling coalition seems more like an attempt to save face. The addition of reaching out to the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and Progressive Party (PP) in the event of the National Alliance (NA) and the Combined List (AS) refusing this proposal is more reminiscent of childish blackmail.
If the ruling coalition falls apart, it will be necessary to form a new government, and no one can say for sure the president will definitely give Kariņš the reins again.
Since the 31st of May – when Edgars Rinkēvičs was elected as Latvia’s new president thanks to support from ZZS and PRO – Kariņš has been dashing around political stages like a man possessed.
Several days before presidential elections, the PM called talk of possible coalition expansion as baseless speculation (22nd of May, LETA). On the 2nd of June JV Saeima faction representative Rihards Kozlovkis stuck to this opinion as well (Delfi). A mere hours after, Kariņš made his colleagues to look as fools with his announcement about coalition expansion negotiations. This implies this topic was not discussed within JV in the beginning of this political manipulation “operation”.
Just recently there was talk on the political backstage that some JV members have threatened to leave the party if its leader “marries” ZZS. However, it is entirely possible that this is the very reason why a “Plan B” was made – the rotation of ministers and spheres of influence within the coalition. One formal reason given for this is “dynamic”, which is something the current government has lacked so far.
But, Mr. Kariņš! You are this government orchestra’s artistic director and conductor! You were the one who should have made it clear if one or other minister’s work is poor. But there was no such thing. On the 23rd of March, celebrating 100 days of his second government, both the PM and JV Saeima faction leader Ainars Latkovskis said: “This government is stronger as a team than the previous one”. So what could happened for this “strong team” to split so suddenly?
Kicking out existing coalition partners just because ZZS and PRO seem more attractive and dynamic to the PM seems rather underhanded and ugly. This is why the offer to swap briefcases could serve as a life preserver to help Kariņš save face and execute “Plan A” in the event of partners taking up arms and replace them with others.
This is why NA and AS are faced with a difficult choice – either accept the ultimatum and pretend everything is fine, or risk collapsing the existing coalition. Let’s not forget about the memorandum suggested by the PM – that ministries are to drop any new political initiatives in the context of the next state budget.
It may seem that focusing on the five main topics – defence, healthcare, education, public order and security – is nothing bad. But what will happen with the 328 commitments listed in the government’s declaration, which, among other things, cover energy and environmental issues, competitiveness, financial sector policy, agriculture, traffic, housing, regional development, family and child support policy?
This is where we can mention what Minister of Economy Ilze Indriksone said – that all of the PM’s mentioned tasks and priorities are already on the table.
Did Kariņš miss that when he suggested signing the memorandum?
Seriously? Even when it comes to the prime minister’s proposed rotation of ministers there are more questions than answers. First of all, what were the criteria the head of the government used when deciding on the minister posts that need replacing? It seems logical to entrust the Ministry of Economy to the Combined List, which has a notable economic proposal. But why wasn’t it done when the government was being composed?
So the proposal to replace Ilze Indriksone seems rather odd in this context. The work she does is positively evaluated by the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Its president Aigars Rostovskis has already said his organisation does not support Indriksone’s replacement. Even Kariņš never said anything bad about the quality of her work.
The situation with Minister of Environment Protection and Regional Development Māris Sprindžuks. So what exactly did the former chairman of Ādaži County Council do to receive Kariņš’s ire now?
Without a doubt, Rihards Kols with his Master’s degree in international diplomacy and previous experience is a good choice for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. But is would be interesting to learn if the PM thought to consult with NA and Kols himself before making this offer.
It is possible the swap of spheres of influence (if NA and AS agree, of course) could serve as the force to rally the government, exit the comfort zone and start tackling truly important problems instead of moving bureaucratic papers from one office to another. Was the ultimatum-like offer from Kariņš really the only way to achieve the dynamism he so often invokes? This goal may yet cause the government to collapse instead.
So far it seems the prime minister is confident about his chances to continue leading the government if AS and NA end up replaced with ZZS and PRO. But let’s repeat the question asked in the beginning – why is Kariņš so confident President Edgars Rinkēvičs will entrust the reins over the government to specifically to him?
Also read: Latvian government’s future remains unclear prior to coalition’s meeting