Page 38 - bne magazine September 2023

38 I Central Europe bne September 2023
14, Latvian Parliament Saeima Speaker Edvards Smiltens (United List) claimed that Karins was violating the constitution by starting to form
a new government while the current government had not stepped down.
"We need clarity as now there are several parallels in the government's work. There are very important reforms that have to be presented as soon as possible. Important issues must not be discarded in an attempt to form a new government," emphasised Smiltens.
He said that the ministers in the current government were ready to continue
their work, but Karins had announced new coalition talks, "which is a flagrant violation of the constitution".
Smiltens admitted that it had become very difficult to work with Karins as the prime minister, therefore it would be very complicated for National Alliance and United List to work in a new government headed by Karins.
After the resignation announcement, Karins said he still believes that a broad coalition is in the best interest of the whole of society.
"In order for us to develop better, politics
must find a way to put aside petty disagreements and create a broader, stronger and more dynamic government. I think it can be done. I hope it will work and that other political forces in the Saeima will take the opportunity to look at things a little differently than before," the prime minister said.
Karins' centre-right New Unity party was the largest party in the October 2022 general election, but it only holds 26 seats in a parliament where seven parties are represented. Karins was the second- longest serving (Valdis Dombrovskis was the longest at 1,778 days) premier in the country's history at 1,664 days.
Poland now says it will deploy 10,000 troops
to Belarus border
Linas Jegelevicius in Vilnius
Poland will station 10,000 troops at the border with Belarus to back up the border guard, Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said, PAP, a Polish news agency, reported on August 10.
He revealed the plan in an interview with public broadcaster Polish Radio on Augus 10.
The defence minister said: “About 10,000 soldiers will be on the border, of which 4,000 will directly support the Border Guard and 6,000 will be in the reserve."
According to him, the Polish army moves closer to the border with Belarus to scare away the aggressor so that it does not dare to attack Poland.
As reported by bne IntelliNews, on August 9, Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wąsik said that Poland would deploy 2,000 extra troops to bolster its border with Belarus.
It came after hundreds of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries had relocated to Belarus in July, at the
www.bne.eu
invitation of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczynski has described the Wagner Group as “an extremely dangerous armed force” and “a Russian tool”.
Meanwhile, Belarus continues its military exercises near the border, and Lukashenko has said several times that he was restraining Wagner fighters who want to attack Poland.
Moreover, Poland has seen an increase in attempts to illegally cross into
the country from Belarus, mainly by migrants from the Middle East and Africa.
Tomasz Praga, the head of the Border Guard agency, said that there had been 19,000 attempts to cross illegally into Poland from Belarus this year, compared with less than 16,000 in the whole of 2022, PAP said.
Soldiers will also support border guard cope with influx of refugees. There were 19,000 attempts to cross illegally into Poland from Belarus this year, compared with less than 16,000 in the whole of 2022. / bne IntelliNews