Latvian lawmaker is taking steps to establish a new government, with plans to hold a vote as early as this week
Latvian opposition lawmaker Andris Kulbergs of the United List stated on Monday his intention to establish a four-party majority government following the collapse of the ruling coalition this month due to national security concerns, although a final agreement has not yet been reached.
The Baltic states, strong allies of Kyiv and members of NATO, have reported numerous incursions by Russian drones recently as Ukraine intensifies its attacks on targets within Russia, including areas near the Baltic Sea.
Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned following a disagreement within her coalition regarding the government’s response to the drone incursions, leading to the coalition’s dissolution just five months ahead of the planned general election.
We have now reached a division plan,” Kulbergs, who has been tasked by President Edgars Rinkevics with forming a new cabinet, stated at a press conference. “The process that led us to this solution, a division among four partners, was clear and uncomplicated. “We had to proceed based on the simplest possible principles—four partners, equal terms—and just move forward from there,” he said.
Kulbergs heads the United List, the largest opposition bloc in parliament, and would assume office if lawmakers grant approval for him and his center-right cabinet. Rinkevics stated that parliament might vote on a new government as soon as this week.
National security is anticipated to continue being a primary focus for Kulbergs’ coalition, as the Baltic states uphold a firm stance on Russia and remain some of the most vocal critics of Moscow regarding the war in Ukraine.
Silina’s government will maintain its caretaker role until the official swearing-in of a successor.
