Coalition reshuffle not on agenda at the moment - PM Silina

RIGA - A reshuffle of Latvia's governing coalition is not on the agenda at the moment, Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) said Thursday on Latvian Radio.

The prime minister said that the government currently has a lot of complex issues "on the table" and that positions on many issues differ, but that even in such a complicated economic situation the coalition is able to agree on the budget, including with social partners.

Silina noted that, remarkably, MPs of the opposition party United List, who previously rejected a possibility of working with the Progressives and the Union of Greens and Farmers, are now openly offering to join the coalition.

"I have not been considering coalition expansion talks... but I definitely assess ministers' job performance, a replacement of an ineffective minister can never be ruled out," the prime minister said, stressing the importance of teamwork in the government.

As reported, after a meeting with Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives) at the beginning of November, MPs of the United List group in Saeima said they were not reassured of Spruds' ability to lead the defense sector and urged the prime minister to replace him.

In mid-September, Transport Minister Kraspars Briskens (Progressives) survived a third motion of no-confidence initiated by opposition lawmakers who criticized the minister for inability to solve problems.