When will a new government be formed in Latvia? The president named the desired timeframe

A new government in Latvia could be formed by the state holiday on November 18, despite the fact that negotiations between potential coalition partners have not yet begun. This confidence was expressed by President Edgars Rinkēvičs in an interview with the Latvian Television program "Morning Panorama," as reported by the LETA agency. In response to a question about the pace of government formation, the president reminded that he had previously outlined two desired deadlines: to form the Cabinet of Ministers by November 18 and to adopt the state budget by Christmas. According to him, this scenario remains possible. However, Rinkēvičs acknowledged that "his ideal world may differ from the real world." The president does not consider the current pause in negotiations a cause for concern. In his assessment, there were objective and justified reasons why the government formation process did not begin this week. He emphasized the unusual political situation that has arisen after the elections. One party received 41 parliamentary mandates, and the voting results indicate a strong demand for a change in the political course. In Rinkēvičs's opinion, under such conditions, the approach to forming a government cannot be standard. "I believe that the mission to form a government by the state holiday is quite feasible and achievable," the president stated. He hopes that official negotiations will begin next week. Rinkēvičs also indicated that he does not currently see grounds for additional intervention in the political process, although he is ready to act if necessary. "But right now, I see neither the need nor the desire to speculate on topics that can be resolved within the framework of a normal political process," emphasized the head of state. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs from the "United List" is preparing for the first stage of forming the future coalition. At the beginning of next week, he intends to meet with the 41 deputies of his political union elected to the 15th Saeima. The meeting is planned to discuss the program of changes and further steps for government formation. According to Kulbergs, before starting official negotiations with other parties, he needs to secure the support of his own faction. The prepared plan for changes, he claims, is almost ready. After that, Kulbergs hopes to move on to negotiations with the National Alliance and "New Unity." These two parties are considered potential partners for the "United List" in the future coalition. As a result of the elections to the 15th Saeima, the "United List" received 41 mandates, the National Alliance ten, and "New Unity" seven. Together, these three political forces hold 58 parliamentary seats out of 100, which provides them with a potential parliamentary majority. The remaining seats were distributed among "Latvia First" (17 mandates), the "Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Union" (15), and the "Progressives" (10). Thus, the proposed coalition has the necessary number of votes to form a government. However, the parties still need to agree on a joint work program and the composition of the future Cabinet of Ministers. The coming week should show whether these negotiations can begin and whether the timeframe set by the president — by November 18 — can be maintained.