Change in Leadership
Latvia's President Edgars Rinkevics nominated Andris Kulbergs, leader of the United List party, to form a new government. The nomination follows the resignation of Prime Minister Evika Silina on Thursday. If Kulbergs succeeds, the cabinet lineup would need approval by the parliament.
Reason for Resignation
Silina resigned after a dispute over the armed forces' handling of a drone incursion last week. Two Ukrainian drones strayed into Latvia from Russia and exploded at an oil storage facility. Silina said the drone incidents "clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defence sector has failed to fulfil its promise of safe skies over our country."
Timeline of Events
On May 7, two Ukrainian drones flew over from Russia, with one crashing into a petrol depot in eastern Latvia and causing a fire that was quickly contained. Silina then fired her defence minister, Andris Spruds. The Progressives party, Silina’s left-leaning coalition partner, then pulled support from the government.
Kulbergs's Plan
President Rinkevics settled on Kulbergs after meeting representatives from all the parties in parliament. Kulbergs said he hopes to create an “enlarged coalition” to administer Latvia until parliamentary elections are held on October 3. “The president has given me 10 days,” he told reporters on Saturday.
International Assistance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he would send Ukrainian experts to Latvia to help it boost its air defenses. Zelenskyy spoke with Rinkevics at a summit in Romania. Silina had been the prime minister since 2023.
The drone incident is only the latest in a series of such events in NATO members Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Citizens should monitor how the new government addresses defense concerns in the coming weeks.
