Kulbergs government says legacy issues delay priorities after 70 days

Latvia’s government, led by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs of Apvienotais saraksts, has completed its first 70 days, with progress on its priorities slowed by problems inherited from the previous government and unexpected issues, LSM reported. Kulbergs expects faster progress in the coming months, while the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament, may soon consider the first resignation request against a minister in his government.

When he took office, Kulbergs said his government had a short but demanding period ahead. He promised to focus on concrete work rather than high-profile announcements, saying the results of the October 3 parliamentary election would be the true measure of the government’s performance.

The government identified national security, budget stabilisation, a review of state spending, secure parliamentary elections, the fight against corruption and cartels, and tighter immigration controls as its main priorities.

Kulbergs also took direct responsibility for issues concerning Rail Baltica, airBaltic and preparations for the elections. He assigned each minister three specific tasks to complete before the end of the government’s term.

One month after taking office, the prime minister said only three of the government’s 61 priorities had been fully completed, although preparatory work had begun on the others. He said he was not entirely satisfied with the results, but stressed that it was impossible to complete all the planned work in a single month.

At the time, Kulbergs gave the government’s performance seven out of 10. He also said its pace was being slowed by the previous governments’ legacy, including issues and problems that had remained unresolved for years.

Coalition partners have had disagreements, but Andris Bite, president of the Latvian Employers’ Confederation, has assessed the government’s work so far positively.