News|Elections

Latvian PM Krisjanis Karins announces resignation

Krisjanis Karins, who has served since 2019, failed to convince coalition partners of a cabinet reshuffle.

Latvian Prime Minister and candidate Krisjanis Karins addresses Parliament before its vote for a new government in Riga
Latvian Prime Minister and candidate Krisjanis Karins addresses parliament before its vote for a new government in Riga [File: Ints Kalnins/Reuters]
Published On 14 Aug 2023

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins has said he and his government will resign later this week.

“This Thursday I will submit the resignation of myself and this cabinet to the president,” Karins told a press conference on Monday.

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Last week, according to a report by local news agency BNS, Karins had proposed a cabinet reshuffle. But his government’s coalition partners rejected the move.

In a post on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Karins said that Latvia’s Green Party and the populist national association All for Latvia “are blocking work for welfare and economic growth”.

“For any country, there are difficulties when someone tries to hold on to their office,” Karins told reporters after announcing his plans to resign, according to a Bloomberg report. “That’s never been my goal.”

Karins has served as premier since 2019.

After winning general elections last October, a vote that was shaped by neighbouring Russia’s war in Ukraine and economic woes, Karins’s centre-right New Unity party signed a deal with two other Latvian parties – National Alliance and the new centrist electoral alliance United List – to jointly rule the Baltic nation.

The three parties pledged to focus on security, education, energy, competitiveness and quality of life.

Karins said his New Unity party plans to select its candidate for the post of prime minister on Wednesday.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics will give a mandate to a new potential prime minister to try to form a government. Any new coalition would also face a vote in parliament before it can take office.

The next Latvian election for parliament is scheduled for 2026.

Source: News Agencies