Latvia First offers support for Kulbergs minority government

Latvia First is ready to support a minority government led by Andris Kulbergs of the United List, party leader Ainārs Šlesers said on Latvian Television’s programme Kas notiek Latvijā? LSM reported.

Šlesers said his party would back the government if it reduced the size of the state administration, formed a government of professionals and promoted the birth rate. “We will also vote for the budget,” he said.

According to provisional election results, the United List won 41 seats in the 15th Saeima, while Latvia First secured 17. Šlesers said the two parties’ votes would make it possible to pass decisions in parliament.

Ļubova Švecova of Sovereign Power/United New Latvians was more cautious. She said her faction would support merging ministries as proposed by Kulbergs, but was unsure whether the changes would go ahead.

Both two-party and three-party coalitions have been discussed as options for the next government. The United List is not considering a coalition with either Latvia First or the Progressives.

The United List won the most seats in the election, followed by Latvia First with 17, Sovereign Power/United New Latvians with 15, the National Alliance and the Progressives with 10 each, and New Unity with seven. Voter turnout was 51.79 percent, or 806,641 people.