Latvian Prime Minister Resigns Amid Political Crisis

On Monday, August 14th, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced his resignation at a press conference. He stated that he would be stepping down from his role due to a coalition crisis and would officially submit his resignation to the President on Thursday, as reported by Delfi. The current government will continue to function temporarily until a new one is approved.

"For the development of the state, a strong and dynamic government capable of making difficult decisions is needed," the politician remarked. He called upon the "New Unity" party to nominate a different candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

According to unofficial information, the current Minister of Welfare, Evika Silina, from "New Unity," might become the next Prime Minister. However, she did not comment on this information during the press conference. Silina emphasized that "New Unity" has not yet undergone the candidate selection procedure for the prime minister's position. Nevertheless, a political gathering is planned for this Wednesday, August 16th, during which a decision regarding the next head of the government will be made.

When asked to comment on the possibility of Karins assuming the role of Foreign Minister in the next government, the Prime Minister stated that his immediate focus in the near future would be supporting the "New Unity" candidate for the Prime Minister's position. He also pledged to do everything possible to help the Prime Ministerial candidate form a capable Cabinet of Ministers.

To recap, at the end of the previous week, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced that he was considering the possibility of forming a coalition with the "Union of Greens and Farmers" and the "Progressives." He also expressed his desire to collaborate with current partners - the "National Alliance" and the "United List" - in the new government.

At that time, Karins also emphasized that he had no intention of resigning from the position of Prime Minister and planned to simultaneously fulfill his duties as the head of the government while engaging in discussions about the potential new coalition. However, coalition partners expressed skepticism about continuing cooperation with the "New Unity" if Krisjanis Karins remained the head of the government.

Representative of the "National Alliance" and European Parliament member, Roberts Zile, voiced the opinion that Karins should step down and "cannot lead two governments simultaneously."