## Time is Running The new government will have such a margin of strength that many previous governments would envy — 69 deputies out of 100! In practice, this means not only the quick passage of various laws but also the opposition's inability to block any particular bill or initiate a signature collection for a referendum on any given bill. The opposition simply does not have the necessary 34 votes for that. However, Kulbergs and Co. will not be able to enjoy such a majority in the Saeima for long: the government was formed on the eve of elections and will be able to function fully for about 5 months — on November 3, at the first meeting of the new Saeima, Kulbergs' government will, according to the Constitution, resign. Although it can continue to perform its duties as a technical government until a new government is approved. Thus, this government is destined for a short life. ## They Can, If They Really Want To But there is no bad without good — the proximity of elections forced politicians to agree on the creation of this temporary government in record time. As Andris Kulbergs noted from the Saeima podium yesterday, "in two weeks we overcame the political crisis and formed a government ready to work immediately in 10 days." The new prime minister outlined four main priorities for his government: security in a broad sense (internal and external), budget stabilization, safe conduct of elections, and the fight against corruption and cartels. Kulbergs, "forgetting" that his government will include "New Unity," began to criticize the work of the previous Cabinet of Ministers, which adopted a budget with the maximum allowable deficit and took on loans. "It is necessary to understand that if we continue to act in the same way (as the government of the resigned Evika Silina. – "TODAY"), there will only be two options left - either raise taxes or earn more!" warned A. Kulbergs. ## On the Sidelines of Big Politics The leader of the "Progressives" faction, Andris Shuvaev, harshly criticized the new government. Let us remind you that the "Progressives" were not included in the new government. Offended, Shuvaev repeatedly called the government "conservative." In this, he is certainly right, but it should not be forgotten that Shuvaev and his associates ensured the rise to power of such a government. After all, when the "Progressives" refused to trust Evika Silina, it was clear that the "Progressives" would not be in the new government. Perhaps Shuvaev and Co. hoped that Silina's government would continue to work until the elections even after her resignation... But in the end, the "Progressives" miscalculated. airBaltic, immigrants, drones In any case, the new government will not be able to just sit back until the elections — there are problems that will need to be addressed as soon as tomorrow or the day after. And the main one is what to do next with airBaltic. The government's declaration states only that the government will evaluate the presented business plan, but nothing is said about whether the government intends to invest taxpayers' money in this airline again — even in the form of a loan... Overall, the declaration of the new government, as usual, contains a lot of "water" - general, meaningless words that do not deserve the attention of our esteemed readers. But some provisions of the declaration turned out to be quite specific! Thus, apparently, the politicians of the National Alliance managed to convince their partners of the need to follow the Lithuanian path and introduce quotas for the acceptance of foreigners. Here is what is written in the declaration: "We will limit the issuance of new long-term visas and residence permits to foreign citizens. Considering the capabilities of the competent authorities, we will determine the acceptable number of citizens from third countries. We will ensure strict control over issued residence permits and compliance with stay conditions. We will establish a ban for unscrupulous invitees to invite foreigners." The government also intends to compensate for the damage that may be caused by the possible arrival or, more precisely, the falling of drones on certain objects in Latvia. "We will develop a compensation mechanism to cover the damage caused by unmanned aerial vehicles," the declaration states. The quarterly bonus is gone? Shortly after the president tasked Kulbergs with forming the government, the prime minister candidate promised to significantly cut the bonus and reward fund in public administration. In the declaration, however, the wording turned out to be softer: "We will completely review the principles of bonus and monetary reward payments, integrating them into a motivational and results-oriented wage system." After the government is approved — apparently, within the next few weeks — a list of priority tasks for the government will be compiled, which has a very short timeframe - 4 months until the elections and some time until the new Saeima approves the next government. Newcomers and Veterans The government will have as many as 5 newcomers — that is, politicians who have never worked in the highest executive power of the country before. This includes Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Justice Minister Edvards Smiltenš, and Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development Edgars Tavars (all from the United List), as well as Interior Minister Janis Dombrava (National Alliance) and non-partisan Defense Minister Raivis Melņis. The most experienced politician in the new government will be Finance Minister Maris Kučinskis, who has already served as minister twice and also as prime minister. Two representatives of the Union of Greens and Farmers retained their ministerial posts from Silina's government — Economy Minister Viktors Valainis and Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks. Another "green farmer" — Uldis Augulis, who was removed from the post of head of the Ministry of Welfare by Evika Silina, returns to the executive power already as Minister of Agriculture. Former Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis from "New Unity" is also moving from one ministerial chair to another — he will now head the Ministry of Communications. Health Minister Hosam Abu Meri and Foreign Minister Baiba Braže (both from "New Unity") retained their positions. The new government will immediately convene for a ceremonial meeting after being approved and receive guidance from the president.