Kulbergs's Cabinet: What Lies Behind the Term "Government of Professionals"

In Latvia, speculation and rumours about how Andris Kulbergs is assembling the next Cabinet of Ministers have brought up the phrase "government of professionals". The term appears in an opinion column by Māris Zanders on the news portal Delfi. It reflects the author's own view, not the editorial board's.

Why the term is popular

Zanders notes that a large part of Latvian society dislikes political parties. The phrase therefore regularly appears as the opposite of another practice. In that practice, a party representative can head one ministry after another and say that a lack of deeper knowledge of the field is no problem, because the civil service exists for that.

What critics say

Critics of the concept argue that ministers brought in from outside lack political backing. The exception is when they eventually join a party, which, the author acknowledges, often happens. As a result, such ministers have less room to act than those with a party behind them.

The critics also hold that in a country as small as Latvia, even "professionals" who have never joined a party are not politically innocent.

The column names no specific candidates and gives no breakdown of ministries. It says only that rumours and guesses are circulating about the formation of the government.