LATVIA: Latvia's president named Mr Indulis Emsis prime minister yesterday, handing him the tricky task of forming a stable government to take the country into the EU and NATO.
Mr Emsis (52), a former environment minister, will be Europe's first Green prime minister.
"Emsis has all the right governmental principles, fighting corruption and working transparently," President Vaira Vike-Freiberga told a news conference.
Mr Emsis replaces Mr Einars Repse, whose government resigned two weeks ago after losing its majority when a junior coalition partner quit.
Soft-spoken Mr Emsis, deputy leader of the small Union of Farmers and Greens, is seen by many as a rather grey figure. His laid-back manner is likely to be a sharp contrast to that of the more highly-strung Mr Repse. Mr Emsis said he wanted a broad majority coalition to ensure stability in the run-up to EU and NATO entry this spring.
"The important thing now is to keep the doors open for all possibilities," he said.
A new government is not expected until late next week at the earliest.
Mr Emsis is likely to focus first on healing rifts between Repse and his former deputy Mr Ainars Slesers to enable a new coalition of all five right-wing parties.
But analysts say the two are unlikely to sit around the same table again.
The political crisis was triggered last month when Mr Repse sacked Mr Slesers as his deputy. Mr Slesers' First Party walked out of Mr Repse's four-party coalition government a week later.