Kulbergs to meet National Alliance and New Unity first in coalition talks

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs will begin talks next week on forming a new government, meeting first with the National Alliance and New Unity on October 28, LSM reported.

Kulbergs, of the United List, is also expected to be tasked by the president with forming the next government. The United List plans to meet the National Alliance at 1 p.m. and New Unity at 3 p.m. The party also intends to hold talks with other parties represented in the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament.

Kulbergs said the talks would begin with agreeing on how the parties would work together, what changes they would pursue and how they would take responsibility for results. He said he wanted a team united by clear goals and prepared to make difficult decisions.

The parties are expected to discuss joint decision-making, resolving disagreements, regularly publishing information on the government’s results, and dialogue with the public and social partners. Agreement on cooperation principles and goals would provide a basis for later talks on the government’s membership and the division of responsibilities.

The United List won 41 seats in the 15th Saeima election, the largest number held by a party in the history of the Latvian parliament. Latvia First received 17 seats, Sovereign Power and the Young Latvians Union 15, the National Alliance and the Progressives 10 each, and New Unity seven. The Union of Greens and Farmers, a partner in the previous coalition, failed to pass the five percent threshold and will not be represented in the Saeima for the first time in its 24-year history.