Latvia’s minister for social protection, Evika Silina, was on Thursday (24 August) asked by the president Edgars Rinkēvičs to form a new government, following the surprise resignation of the prime minister earlier this month.
Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced in mid-August that he was stepping down from leading the NATO and European Union country because of a rift within his governing coalition.
Latvia's prime minister announces resignation
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced his resignation on Monday (14 August), blaming a breakdown in relations with parts of his multi-party governing government.
Silina is a member of Kariņš’s centrist New Unity party, which won the general election in late 2022 but only succeeded in forming a coalition government that has 53 of the 100 seats in parliament.
Kariņš and his outgoing ministers will remain in post until the new cabinet is approved by parliament.
“(Coalition) talks are likely to be brief,” Silina told a news conference.
Silina, 48, who has a degree in law, was elected to parliament in October 2022.
The outgoing coalition government, which could be returned to power, comprises New Unity; the United List of centrist, regional and green groups; and the right-wing populist National Alliance.
New Unity could instead opt for a coalition with the centre-right Union of Greens and Farmers and the left-wing Progressives. But such an alliance would only have 52 MPs in parliament.
Kariņš — who had run Latvia since 2019 — had attempted to broaden his government by bringing in the Progressives but the National Alliance vetoed that move.
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