The Long Road to Reconciliation.... What Will the Coalition Discuss? 0 68

Although, according to Prime Minister Evika Silina, a truce has been reached within the coalition until the Saeima votes on the 2026 budget, in reality, the atmosphere among the authorities is tense to the limit. The coalition council meeting on Monday will provide another opportunity for the head of government to 'calm down' the warring partners - the 'Progressives' and the 'Green Farmers' - and attempt to steer the coalition's relations into a constructive direction. However, first, the Prime Minister and other leaders of 'New Unity' will try to persuade the 'Green Farmers' not to support the rapid advancement of the opposition bill on withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention. The Saeima's Foreign Affairs Committee will consider the document in its first reading as early as this Wednesday.

Additionally, partners are expected to discuss the issue of coalition discipline during the consideration of the 2026 budget in the Saeima. The coalition, let us remind you, has once again faced quorum issues, and the opposition disrupted another plenary session last Thursday.

To have a 'margin of safety' when adopting the budget, the head of the 'New Unity' parliamentary faction, E. Jurevics, proposed a 'Plan B' - to persuade 'state-minded' independent deputies to support the 2026 budget. Essentially, this means negotiating with two independent deputies who have previously supported the coalition while being part of the 'Progressives' faction - Zelderis and Abrama. This is a quite likely scenario, considering that Skaidrīte Abrama voted against Silina's resignation alongside the coalition last Thursday.