Probe and immigration vote cloud Kulbergs coalition talks

Criminal proceedings involving Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’ former adviser Mārtiņš Brencis and contentious votes on immigration law overshadowed the first round of talks on forming the next government, LSM’s De facto reported.

The talks began this week, with the United List represented only by Kulbergs and his chief of staff. The first meetings between parties have yet to clarify how the next government might be formed.

European Public Prosecutor’s Office investigators began the criminal proceedings after obtaining a recording of a phone conversation Brencis had several years ago, when he worked at the Central Finance and Contracting Agency, De facto reported. Brencis was temporarily detained in an investigation into suspected fraud involving EU funds in Alūksne municipality.

Kulbergs said he learned of the law enforcement action that morning and had no further information. He dismissed Brencis from his post as an adviser that day. Brencis was elected to the 15th Saeima for the United List as a representative of the association Latvijas Restarts, which is led by Kulbergs.

The final session of the 14th Saeima also drew attention after a dramatic debate over amendments to the new Immigration Law that had previously been rejected. The issue of temporary residence permits has emerged as a point of disagreement in the government formation talks.

Šuvajevs raised the residence permit issue in his talks with Kulbergs as a potential source of disagreement. Kulbergs described it as contentious, while Liepiņa said he needed to draw conclusions that were closer to her position on the permits. The coalition’s possible composition remains unclear.