Although the chances of the National Alliance (NA) and the Progressives agreeing to work together in the government are slim for the time being, both parties continue to express their willingness to join and work in the new governing coalition.
Mutual antipathy could mean that only one of these parties could be included in the future coalition.
On the 24th of August, after the meeting of the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics with five parties, NA politician and MEP Roberts Zīle said that the rapprochement of the New Unity (JV), the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) and the Progressives was only for the specific political situation – the presidential elections, which have already passed.
ZĪLE REFERRED TO THE STATEMENT BY THE NEW UNITY’S PRIME MINISTER-CANDIDATE, MINISTER OF WELFARE EVIKA SILINA (JV), THAT NEGOTIATIONS ON THE NEW GOVERNMENT START FROM A “WHITE SHEET”.
At the same time, the NA politician underlined the ideological differences with the Progressives and his observation that ideologically different governments are slowly crumbling internally.
When asked which of the two parties would have a more realistic chance of working in government and which of them would end up in opposition, Progressives co-chair, Andris Šuvajevs, pointed out that this was a matter for negotiation.
Šuvajevs agreed on the need to form a government as soon as possible.
“DECISIONS HAVE TO START FROM A WHITE SHEET TO SOME EXTENT, BUT SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN PRELIMINARY STEPS, WE ARE IN A GOOD STARTING POSITION” SAID ŠUVAJEVS.
He also said that the Progressives were ready to sit at the government table as soon as the President nominated a prime minister candidate.
He said that the chances of forming a four-party coalition were very good.
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics on the 24th of August continued talks with five political parties on the possibility of forming a broad coalition in the new government.
So far, the only publicly announced candidate for the post of Prime Minister is Minister of Welfare Evika Silina (JV).
After previous negotiations, the JV has expressed its readiness to assume the leadership of the government, initially mentioning the JV, ZZS and Progressives as a possible “nucleus” of a coalition, but later stating that it would like to form as broad a coalition as possible.
ZZS and Progressives have conceded to support Silina if the parties can agree on the work to be done, AS has been more sceptical, supporting the current coalition model with JV, AS and NA but not completely ruling out participation in another coalition, while NA has taken a completely negative stance, not supporting going into the same government with Progressives.
It has already been reported that on the 17th of August Krisjanis Karins submitted a document to the President of Latvia on the resignation of the government.
The JV has 26 seats in the Saeima, the ZZS – 16, and the Progressives – 10, which gives the so-called core of the possible new government a total of 52 votes, or a minimum majority.
THE AS HAVE 15 MPs AND THE NA HAVE 13 SEATS.
The Stability has ten seats and Latvia First has eight. There are also two non-factional members.
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