Evika Siliņa, the Prime Minister of Latvia, announced her resignation on Monday after her government coalition collapsed. This resignation comes amid a dispute over drone incidents in the airspace of the EU and NATO member Latvia. The left-leaning Progressive party, Siliņa’s coalition partner, withdrew its support, resulting in a loss of parliamentary majority.
In a press conference in Riga, Siliņa stated that she considered the decision difficult but necessary. The immediate trigger for the government crisis was the forced resignation of Defense Minister Andris Sprūds, whom Siliņa had pressured to step down following the drone incidents. These incidents involved two Ukrainian drones that crashed on Latvian territory, allegedly redirected by Russia.
The drones targeted a Russian port near St. Petersburg, with one hitting an oil depot in Rēzekne, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished. Siliņa indicated that trust in Sprūds had been lost due to these incidents. Latvia, which is set to elect a new parliament on October 3, faces challenges in the current political climate exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis.
According to the Latvian constitution, the resignation of the Prime Minister automatically leads to the resignation of the entire cabinet. The current government will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is confirmed. Siliņa had only taken office in September 2023.
