Following the resignation of the Prime Minister, on 15 May President Edgars Rinkēvičs met at Riga Castle with representatives of the Saeima factions “Progressives,” “Latvia First,” “National Alliance,” “United List,” “New Unity,” and “Union of Greens and Farmers”.
The President listened to the views of the parliamentary factions’ representatives regarding the preferred coalition model, potential candidates for the office of Prime Minister, as well as their vision for the tasks the government must accomplish before the Saeima elections on 3 October.
“Today I listened to the views of representatives from all the parliamentary factions and their vision for the preferred coalition model. Although only a few months remain until the Saeima elections, it is nevertheless possible to form a functioning government with the support of the Saeima.
Despite the political uncertainty and instability, I believe that strengthening national defence, internal and external security must remain the foremost task for the next Cabinet of Ministers. The new Cabinet must also be capable of ensuring the secure and transparent conduct of the Saeima elections, which is a cornerstone of a democratic state governed by the rule of law. Likewise, the new government will need to find solutions to a number of pressing issues, including the implementation of air defence and civil protection measures, the provision of quality healthcare, strengthening demographic policy, and the governance of state-owned companies in the transport sector.
The next Cabinet of Ministers will be able to present its vision for developing a fiscally responsible national budget for the coming years, which must allocate 5% of the gross domestic product to national defence. These are just a few of the tasks I highlighted today in discussions with representatives of the parliamentary groups,” said the President.
The President will continue consultations on Saturday, 16 May, at 14:45 at Riga Castle, when he will again meet with representatives from all Saeima factions.
The President’s statement to the media is scheduled for 16 May at 16:00 at Riga Castle.