Kulbergs must form Latvia's next government - Rinkevics

RIGA - Incumbent Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (United List) must form Latvia's next government, President Edgars Rinkevics announced on Tuesday following talks with all political parties elected to the 15th Saeima.

Kulbergs' United List won the 15th Saeima elections by a wide margin over the other parties.

Rinkevics said that significant progress in the government formation process should be seen by the beginning of November. At the same time, he indicated that Kulbergs cannot be formally nominated as a candidate for prime minister at the moment, because the powers of the current 14th Saeima still have not expired.

The president once again congratulated Kulbergs on his success in the elections, emphasizing that the mandate given by the voters is both a great responsibility and a great opportunity. Rinkevics expressed hope that the 15th Saeima, the next government, and the prime minister will succeed in implementing plans to strengthen Latvia's economy and security.

At the same time, the president expressed hope that in the coming years it will be possible to promote public involvement in political processes and trust in state institutions, which could result in higher voter turnout in future parliamentary elections.

Rinkevics said he would be glad if the new government could be formed by November 18, as work needs to be done on next year’s budget, which could be finalized by Christmas.

For his part, Kulbergs told reporters that there is currently no set timeline for when negotiations with potential partners for the new government might begin. He noted that a busy schedule lies ahead in the near future, with various events that require preparation.

Kulbergs said that Latvian voters in the 15th Saeima elections have voted for change, and the next government has been given a strong mandate to implement it.

Kulbergs emphasized that the mandate received from voters "is not about ideological disputes or political slogans, but rather about concrete changes in public administration." According to him, Latvia now has a unique opportunity to fix the national economy and implement changes without unnecessary political conflicts.

The United List leader said that one of the main tasks will be to put the country’s finances in order and establish discipline in public finances. At the same time, he emphasized the need to continue the work already started to strengthen national security, which he described as a priority issue.

Kulbergs also expressed his conviction that without rapid economic growth, it will not be possible to meet the country’s defense needs or implement other necessary changes. He called for the use of all available resources to achieve an economic breakthrough and stressed that this is not possible without significant changes in public administration.

According to Kulbergs, fiscal discipline, national security, economic growth, and reforms in public administration will form the basis for negotiations with potential coalition partners. He noted that cooperation will be offered to those potential partners that are prepared to support such a reform program.

Kulbergs emphasized that the public expects concrete results from politicians, and expressed the conviction that the successful implementation of these changes in the future will foster public participation in political processes and trust in the government. "It is our responsibility to make this happen, and we will make it happen," the politician said.

Kulbergs did not name specific politicians who might hold ministerial posts in his new government.

Kulbergs was born in 1979. He studied at Concordia International University Estonia in Tallinn, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics and business in 2002, with a specialization in international business management, as well as at Riga Business School, where he earned a professional master’s degree in international business and commerce.

Since 2006, Kulbergs has held various leading positions in the Automotive Association and is currently a member of the association’s board. From 2008 to 2013, he worked at Inchcape Motors Latvia, where he served as regional manager for Latvia, on the board of Latvijas Pilnvaroto Autotirgotaju Centrs, as well as at Baltic Motors Ventspils, the Latvian Auto Body Repairers Association, Baltijas Ipasumu Fonds, BM Lizings, Ventmotors, Inchcape BM Auto, Inchcape Insurance Services, and Ermans.

From 2013 to 2022, Kulbergs served as regional and development manager at GeesinkNorba in the Netherlands.

He also served on the council of the Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LDDK).

In 2022, Kulbergs was elected to the 14th Saeima on the United List ticket. In the Saeima, he has chaired the Environment, Climate, and Energy Subcommittee of the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental, and Regional Policy Committee, as well as the parliamentary ad hoc committee that investigated reasons for the sharp rise in heating costs in Riga.

The first Kulbergs-led Cabinet was confirmed on May 28 of this year following the collapse of Prime Minister Evika Silina’s (New Unity) government. It was composed of the United List, New Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the National Alliance.

According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission, the United List won the 15th Saeima elections with 35.288 percent of the vote, followed by Latvia First (LPV) with 13.076 percent, Sovereign Power/New Latvians with 11.71 percent, the National Alliance with 8.897 percent, the Progressives with 7.878 percent, and New Unity with 6.362 percent of the vote.