Kulbergs says coalition partners must commit to change

Parties willing to carry out the changes voters backed will be partners in the next parliament’s coalition, Andris Kulbergs of the United List said, according to LSM. Kulbergs has been tasked with forming the new government.

“The coalition must be able to carry out the changes the country needs and not be afraid of changes that will not be comfortable for everyone,” Kulbergs said at a news conference on Wednesday. “The voter clearly voted for this. Whoever signs up for it will be our partner.”

Kulbergs said the number of ministries was not an end in itself. The priority, he said, was to use available resources to achieve the greatest effect. He said a government could have either 14 or 12 ministries if that was the most effective arrangement.

President Edgars Rinkevics said the coalition’s size mattered less than its effectiveness. He said Kulbergs and the political force he represents had received a strong mandate and would be held accountable for how they used it. Rinkevics said he hoped the work would last for the full four-year term.

Rinkevics also cautioned that merging ministries would be effective only if their functions and the wider system were reviewed. Reducing the number of ministries would also have political consequences by shrinking the Cabinet, he said.