The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, stated that in the current situation, appointing a professional as Minister of Defense may be a more appropriate decision than searching for a party candidate. Amid the coalition crisis, the head of state urged politicians to first "let off steam."
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, believes that this may be the right time for the country to be led by a professional at the Ministry of Defense rather than a politician.
The head of state made this statement during the TV3 program "900 Seconds" following a sharp change in the leadership of the defense sector.
According to the president, in the current political situation, it would be extremely difficult to agree on a party candidate, and the ministry needs to receive new leadership as quickly as possible.
This concerns the candidate proposed by Prime Minister Evika Siliņa - Colonel of the National Armed Forces Raivis Melniņš.
Rinkēvičs acknowledged that he is not personally acquainted with Melniņš yet, but intends to meet with him after his return to Latvia.
At the same time, the president emphasized an important principle of democratic states - civilian control over the army.
This means that if Melniņš is confirmed in the position, he will have to leave military service.
In the president's opinion, one of the main tasks of the new minister should be to increase the flexibility of the defense system.
Rinkēvičs noted that military technologies are changing so rapidly now that decisions that were considered relevant just a few months ago may already be outdated.
This topic has become particularly sensitive following recent incidents with drones in Latgale, which triggered a political crisis around the Ministry of Defense and the National Armed Forces.
It was after these events that the Prime Minister demanded the resignation of Andris Sprūds, stating a loss of trust in the minister and the presence of problems in the sector.
Sprūds himself announced his departure, stating that he takes political responsibility and wants to protect the army from being drawn into political conflicts.
Amid these events, tensions within the coalition have sharply increased.
However, the president urged against making hasty conclusions about the collapse of the government.
According to him, politicians should be given a few days for emotions to settle and to see whether the coalition remains intact.
Rinkēvičs also indicated that he is ready to hold consultations with all parliamentary forces if necessary - both the coalition and the opposition.
"The doors of my castle are open to all political forces," the president stated.
Currently, attention in Latvia is focused not only on the candidacy of the new Minister of Defense but also on the ability of politicians to maintain stability in power amid growing security challenges.
