Question mark remains for next prime minister

Latvia’s Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) in an interview on Latvian State Radio on Jan. 2 said he hopes that a new government will begin its work in two to three weeks, reports LETA. The nomination of the next PM candidate is one of the first tasks this year.

It is clear that the next candidate will be nominated before the president's deadline – Jan. 7, explained the prime minister.

Dombrovskis declined to reveal which of the previously mentioned candidates is most likely to be nominated. The next candidate will be jointly nominated by Unity and the Reform Party. "Of course, we are working to ensure the Saeima majority and the president's support for our candidate," said Dombrovskis.

He repeatedly emphasized that he will not head the next government.

The latest most-mentioned possible candidates are Agriculture Minister Laimdota Straujuma and Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, with the latter saying previously that he would not accept the nomination. Straujuma is a question mark as she is not a Unity member.