If the current government cannot function effectively, it may be time to give others a chance, President Edgars Rinkēvičs said after meeting with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) at Riga Castle on Wednesday.
The president emphasized that both the government and members of parliament should set aside harsh rhetoric and focus on addressing the country’s key priorities — security, demography, healthcare, and education.
“I would urge everyone to put aside the sharp rhetoric that periodically surfaces in parliament and government, and focus on security matters — there is still a lot to be done,” said Rinkēvičs.
According to the president, the assessment of the government’s work will largely depend on the 2025 national budget, which the Cabinet is expected to submit to the Saeima next week.
“The way budget discussions unfold and the final decision on its adoption will reveal whether the coalition parties are willing — or unwilling — to work together,” he noted.
Rinkēvičs stressed the importance of maintaining the commitment to increase defense spending
in line with NATO summit decisions, while also prioritizing demographic, education, and healthcare issues.
He warned that public debt cannot grow indefinitely, reminding that Latvia’s fiscal deficit is already high.
The president said he saw no reason for emergency consultations on the government’s performance, noting that he had recently met with all parliamentary factions, as well as the Speaker of the Saeima and the Prime Minister.
“We are not in a situation where every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday should bring political drama over issues the public doesn’t fully understand,” he said.
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) acknowledged that
pre-election rhetoric among politicians is intensifying
but insisted that the coalition’s main priority remains the adoption of the defense budget and the fulfillment of promises made to society.
“We have clearly entered pre-election rhetoric in parliament. I remind my colleagues and partners that the top priority must be passing the defense budget,” said Siliņa.
She admitted that tensions exist within the coalition, noting that she had held meetings with partners and urged them to avoid adding divisive topics to the agenda unrelated to the budget.
“I’m ready to talk, seek compromises, and ensure that each coalition party sees its interests represented,”
she said.
Siliņa emphasized that ideological differences between New Unity, the Progressives, and the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) are natural in a democracy.
“I urge my coalition partners to ensure that our rhetoric does not give the public the impression that we care more about internal disputes than real results,” she added.
The prime minister stressed that while the election campaign has already begun, politicians must keep emotions in check and focus on delivering tangible results.
“The public expects outcomes, not quarrels — and that is the goal I want to achieve,” Siliņa concluded.
As reported earlier, instability within the government coalition intensified at the end of September after the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) voted in favor of denouncing the Istanbul Convention in the Saeima.
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