By eurotopics | 05.10.2011 | 17:15 ET in Europe

Latvia: Strategy games hinder new government

ex-president Valdis Zatlers

After the parliamentary elections in Latvia on September 17 the Reform Party (ZRP) founded by ex-president Valdis Zatlers wants to invite Harmony Centre (SC) representing the Russian minority to join it in coalition talks.

The business paper Dienas Bizness is sceptical about the plan:

“This constellation is without doubt interesting but it’s questionable whether it really makes sense for the state, as Zatlers claims.

… A government made up of just the ZRP and the SC is possible in theory. But then we would have to reckon with the most fatal government in Latvia’s recent history because this would mean Latvia being governed by two political forces both of which are basically entirely lacking in experience and it’s an open secret that the SC doesn’t even have sufficient suitable candidates to propose for ministerial posts.

… The ZRP should therefore cease it’s strategy games and sit down with all the parties at the negotiating table to reach an agreement on future cooperation as soon as possible, because Latvia needs a functioning government now.”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You might also be interested in:

Lackeys govern Latvia

The coalition talks in Latvia between Valdis Zatlers' Reform Party (ZRP), the alliance Unity and the National Alliance have stalled just a few days after they started. Six members of parliament ...

A file picture taken on September 13, 2011 shows a couple walking past an election campaign billboard featuring leader of the Harmony Center or Saskanas Centre, mayor of Riga city Nils Usakovs, ahead of the early elections in Riga. A pro-Russian party scored an unprecedented win in Latvia's snap election on September 17 but fell short of an absolute majority in ex-Soviet EU state that would have let it govern alone, partial results showed. The Harmony Centre got 31.72 percent of the vote, according to results from 521 of 1,027 polling stations, the state election commission said. The Harmony Centre made its strongest showing ever, but was unlikely to find coalition partners among two mainstream parties wary of its formal ties with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Latvia: Don’t let Russian party join coalition

Negotiations for a coalition government have been underway since parliamentary elections took place in Latvia on September 17. The strongest party, the Harmony Centre alliance representing the country's Russian minority, ...

A poster in Riga, Latvia, showing the city’s mayor, Nils Usakovs, left, and Janis Urbanovics, the head of Harmony Center’s faction in Parliament. The party wants to mend ties with Russia. Photo: ria novosti

Grand coalition best option for Latvia

In the parliamentary elections held in Latvia last Saturday the party of the Russian minority, Harmony Centre, emerged as the strongest force but failed to obtain an absolute majority. The daily ...

Latvian election victor stays out of government

Harmony Centre, the social democratic party of Latvia's Russian minority, emerged as the strongest force in the country's parliamentary elections on Saturday with 28.5 percent of the vote. However the ...

Latvians can dissolve parliament

For the first time ever Latvian voters will be able to decide per referendum on the dissolution of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, this Sunday, and perhaps bring the parliamentary ...

Latvia's right manouevres itself out of government

Three weeks after the parliamentary elections Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has made the surprise announcement that his new government won't include the far-right alliance comprising All For Latvia and ...

Latvia's election winner seeks coalition partner

The Unity party alliance led by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has won the parliamentary elections in Latvia but will need a partner to govern the country. The daily Latvijas Avīze ...

Latvian voters endorse austerity measures

The minority government of conservative Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has won a clear majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections in Latvia. Commentators say the results show approval for the country's strict ...

Latvia can learn from Estonia

The daily Latvijas avīze complains that the Latvians are full of apathy in the run-up to this October's parliamentary elections, and points to the country's more active and successful neighbour ...

Two Latvians, three parties

Parliamentary elections take place in Latvia this year. It has almost become a tradition for new parties to be founded shortly before the elections, the business paper Dienas Bizness comments ...