Faced with a potential collapse in government, Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis has urged all ruling coalition partners continue working together.
The PM, who represents the People's Party, told the LNT program 900 Sekundes (900 Seconds) on April 5 that he hoped "politicians still have a little reason left in their heads, that they still have a sense of responsibility before the state and voters."
"I call on all parties, which currently belong to the ruling coalition, to keep working together as we have successfully done it so far," said Kalvitis. In response to New Era's April 3 ultimatum, demanding that Kalvitis choose between New Era and Latvia's First Party, the PM said that politics was an art of compromise and could not be built on demands.
"I do not consider such issues in principle because it makes any work impossible. Because in that case we might see another ultimatum next morning about that minister having looked at somebody in the wrong way or having said something wrong ... This is not how things will be done in this country, at least not during the term of the current parliament and under my leadership," he stated.
Kalvitis urged New Era members, which he previously referred to as "hotheads," to cool down and get back to work.
"People who want to work in the government and for the state do their work. Those who do not want it, cannot be forced into doing it. The work should be dome by those able and willing," said Kalvitis.
He was optimistic that New Era would "come to reason," adding that the party should assume responsibility for causing the government's current instability. In response, New Era chairman Einars Repse told the Baltic News Service that he hoped the PM "will think well and come to reason himself."
"[Kalvitis] still has time for thought until tomorrow night. If he has not changed his opinion by Thursday, we will not stay in the government, which supports corruption. Kalvitis will have letters of resignation from our ministers on his table Friday morning," said Repse. "It is up to the prime minister to choose which path he will take - corruption or honest European-style Western politics." On April 3, New Era demanded that Kalvitis choose one party to keep in the coalition government -- New Era or Latvia's First.
The board of New Era made this decision at an extraordinary meeting after having learned that police had opened a criminal proceeding over fellow member Economy Minister Krisjanis Karins, who is allegedly responsible for the ministry's illegal distribution of EU structural funds.
