Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned Thursday after her center-right government lost its parliamentary majority. The Progressives Party, her left-leaning coalition partner, formally withdrew its support following a dispute over defense leadership and national security protocols.
The split highlights growing friction within the governing tripartite coalition, which had been under strain for months over multiple policy disagreements. The resignation leaves Latvia with a caretaker administration just months ahead of general elections scheduled for October.
The immediate catalyst for the coalition’s collapse was the forced resignation of Defense Minister Andris Spruds last week. Spruds, a member of the Progressives Party, stepped down after Silina stated that he had lost her trust and the public’s confidence regarding the government’s handling of repeated airspace violations.
On May 7, two suspected Ukrainian drones entered Latvian territory, with one crashing at a local fuel storage facility. Defense officials indicated the drones were likely targeting Russian positions but drifted off course. Multiple similar incursions have struck territories in the three Baltic states since March, drawing criticism from domestic observers who say the incidents expose gaps in Latvia’s air defense capabilities.
“The drones incidents clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defense sector has failed to fulfill its promise of safe skies over our country,” Silina said on Sunday when announcing Spruds’ departure.
On Sunday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha addressed the incursions, stating they are “the result of Russian electronic warfare deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets in Russia.” Sybiha offered technical assistance to the Baltic states and Finland to help mitigate future incidents.
President Edgars Rinkevics, who holds constitutional authority to appoint a new head of government, is scheduled to meet with representatives from all parliamentary parties on Friday to discuss the path forward. Silina addressed the political dissolution on X, writing, “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.”