Latvia’s centre-right Prime Minister, Evika Siliņa, has announced her resignation, bringing down her coalition government just months before the country’s scheduled general election in October.
In a televised address on Thursday, Siliņa confirmed her decision, saying, “I am resigning, but I am not giving up,” signalling her continued political engagement despite stepping aside from office.
Her resignation follows the loss of a parliamentary majority after the left-wing Progressive Party withdrew its support on Wednesday, effectively collapsing the governing coalition.
The political fallout was triggered by tensions within the coalition after Defence Minister Andris Sprūds, a member of the Progressives, was dismissed over his handling of incidents involving stray Ukrainian drones that entered Latvian airspace from Russia.
Under Latvia’s constitutional process, President Edgars Rinkēvičs is expected to begin consultations with all parliamentary parties on Friday to determine the next steps in forming a new government.
