Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina (Evika Siliņa) announced her resignation on Thursday following the withdrawal of support from The Progressives, her left-leaning coalition partner. This development has led to a loss of the parliamentary majority necessary to sustain her government. The resignation comes in the wake of recent events involving Defence Minister Andris Spruds, also from the Progressives Party, who was compelled to resign amid criticism of the government’s management of incidents involving stray drones, suspected to be of Ukrainian origin, that entered Latvian airspace.
Prime Minister Silina had indicated that Minister Spruds had lost not only her trust but also the public’s. She emphasised that these drone incidents “clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defence sector has failed to fulfil its promise of ensuring safe skies over our country.” This reflection on the circumstances was provided shortly before Spruds’s resignation.
On 7 May, two drones believed to be of Ukrainian origin entered Latvia, with one crashing into a fuel storage facility. Minister Spruds commented that these drones were likely targeting Russia but inadvertently crossed into Latvian territory. Since March, there have been reports of multiple Ukrainian drones intended for Russia entering the airspace of the Baltic states. Critics have raised concerns that these incidents have exposed vulnerabilities in Latvia’s capacity to effectively address military threats.
The governing tripartite coalition, comprising Silina’s Unity party, the conservative Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and The Progressives,
has experienced sustained pressure due to various issues.
“Today, I have made a difficult but honest decision—to step down from the position of Prime Minister.,” Silina wrote on X on Thursday. “My priority has always been, and remains, the well-being and security of Latvia’s people. Parties and coalitions change, but Latvia endures. And my responsibility to society comes above all else,” she added.
Silina mentioned that the recent resignation of the defence minister revealed big differences between political parties.
“At this moment, political envy and narrow party interests have taken precedence over responsibility. Seeing a strong and professional candidate for the position of Minister of Defence, the political empty talkers chose not a solution, but a crisis. I have always acted responsibly toward my coalition partners. However, my responsibility to society is even greater. I led this government because people needed stability. I held together very different political forces because my task was to ensure that the country moved forward. Thank you to everyone who trusted me, collaborated with me, and also rightfully criticised me. I am stepping down, but I am not giving up. And I am not leaving,” emphasised Silina.
Prime Minister Silina’s resignation comes just months before the upcoming general elections scheduled for October. Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs has been tasked with appointing a new head of government and will meet with representatives from all parliamentary parties on Friday to discuss the situation.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha remarked that the incidents in Latvia were likely the result of Russian electronic warfare tactics aimed at diverting Ukrainian drones from their intended targets within Russia. He also offered Ukraine’s assistance to the Baltic states and Finland in preventing similar incidents in the future.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
