In this government as well Latvian PM Krišjānis Kariņš continues acting like a group discussion moderator instead of taking responsibilities like a head of a government should, said University of Latvia Social Sciences dean and politologist Jānis Ikstens, commenting on the first 100 days of Kariņš’s second government.
The politologist said he cannot say the government’s work has been smooth so far, and Kariņš, who is represented in the parliament with 26 deputies instead of eight, is the «first and biggest problem».
When asked about a possible solution to this situation, the politologist stressed that one of the solutions could be Kariņš running for European Parliament elections and leaving the post of the head of the government.
According to Ikstens, this would mean resigning with dignity and a safety net for the government.
The politologist said the controversy between New Unity and Combined List that plagued the government formation process is not over. This is clear from the healthcare budget plan.
«We hear stories about necessary reforms that have to be implemented,
but the PM has yet to present a single rational proposal, as though it doesn’t apply to him and his government.
Pointless whipping of ministers using rhetorical techniques in the public space will likely continue. Clearly Kariņš doesn’t understand he is not only part of this process but its head as well. It seems the PM has forgotten about the cooperation agreement, which states that all members of the government share responsibility for the work done by the Cabinet of Ministers. This includes the PM and his party,» said Ikstens.
When asked if the government has similar challenges with the education sector, the politologist said here, too, we can see «completely pointless» rhetoric about necessary reforms. It is as though the PM was not in charge of the government for the previous four years with every option available to him to reform the education system this whole time. It seems Kariņš has finally woken up to the realisation that something is wrong. Ikstens said it would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.
When asked if the government has ideas on how best to implement the commitment regarding the transformation of the economy, the politologist said it doesn’t seem this way. It seems the
government’s opinion of the economy’s transformation is limited to an increased defence budget
and a significant increase of wages for officials and members of the government. He mentioned people who operate with start-ups, IT technologies or production are not entirely thrilled with the government’s plans to transform the economy.
As for the government’s first 100 days, Ikstens said they can be compared to the last several years, which does not indicate anything good. The tension between New Unity and Combined List still remains. The topic of the upcoming State President’s elections is important as well. Then it will be possible to ensure progress with education and healthcare sectors. Talks of the school network’s optimisation are also expected. This is where New Unity and Combined List may have sharply opposing opinions. Neither sector can expect a sudden breakthrough. The tension between parties may remain or go up even more.
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