On June 12, the opposition filed a motion of no confidence against Latvia's coalition government. The motion failed, receiving only 27 votes in favor out of 100 members of parliament – 21 from the People's Party (right-wing) and six from the Socialist Party. This unusual alliance can be explained by the fact that the People's Party has much to fear, as the current government has proclaimed the fight against corruption as its top priority and also has many unanswered questions regarding its time in government (1999-2002). On the other hand, the Socialists represent a radical opposition that neither gains nor loses anything from the government's fall or continuation.
The surprise came from Janis Jurkans, leader of the opposition National Harmony Party (PHN, center-left), the third largest political force with 17 seats. He supported the government's reforms and harshly criticized the People's Party (PP) and the Party for Fatherland and Freedom (PPL, 7 seats, nationalist right), which was also part of the previous government and, unlike the PP, is part of the current one. The PHN and PPL are irreconcilable enemies, so Jurkans's gesture can be seen as a nod to Prime Minister Einars Repse. The PPL's departure and the PHN's entry would provide greater stability to the government and greater credibility to the reform program, since the PHN, unlike the PPL, was not part of the previous governments. Now, the ball is in Repse's court.
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