On Wednesday evening, a basic agreement of the potential new government was signed, which will serve as the basis for further negotiations on upcoming works.
At the same time, it became known that positions may be distributed on the principle of equality — each political force will be offered the same number of posts.
The problem is that Latvia has 15 ministries — which cannot be evenly divided among four. Another one needs to be created, or three need to be liquidated.
So far, it is known that the new government may include the "United List," the National Alliance, the Union of Greens and Farmers, as well as "New Unity."
The candidate for the post of Prime Minister, Andris Kulbergs, stated on Wednesday evening that all four potential coalition partners agreed to continue negotiations on forming the government and expressed their political support for him.
In the near future, more detailed work on the distribution of responsibilities among the parties is planned. The goal remains to adhere to the deadline set by the president and to achieve a unified vision for coalition formation, including the distribution of ministries, by May 25.
Tasks Set
In the signed agreement, strengthening security is defined as one of the main priorities. The parties committed to providing full support to the defense and internal affairs services, including border strengthening, the development of air defense, and improving the internal and external security of the state.
Measures are also provided to enhance immigration control and stricter oversight of residence permit issuance.
The document also states that the government will continue its consistent support for Ukraine and will advocate for the preservation and strengthening of sanctions policy.
At the same time, the partners commit to preventing any retreat from already achieved standards in the field of human rights, including combating violence and gender equality.
Combating corruption, cartels, and economic crimes is defined as another priority direction.
In the economic sphere, measures for budget stabilization are provided, limiting unjustified bonus payments and increasing the transparency of public finances.
The document also includes the management of large state projects — regarding Rail Baltica, closer coordination at the level of the Prime Minister is provided, and for airBaltic, scenarios for the company's further development are planned to be assessed by the end of summer.
In the social sphere, the focus is on demography and family support. A gradual introduction of a basic pension is also planned.
