Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina announced her resignation amid a crisis triggered by a drone incident in the country’s airspace. The entire government is stepping down with her. This was reported by broadcaster LSM.
Causes of the crisis
The political crisis was set off by the resignation of the defense minister from the Progressives party, which is part of the ruling coalition. According to the prime minister, the reason was the drone incident, which showed the Defense Ministry’s inability to fulfill its promise of keeping the skies safe. Silina accepted the minister’s resignation several days earlier.
According to the BBC, the prime minister’s party, New Unity, nominated Colonel Raivis Melnis for the post, effectively taking the ministerial portfolio away from the Progressives. The ruling coalition then collapsed.
The prime minister herself said that “political envy and narrow party interests” had prevailed over responsibility.
What happens next
Members of the cabinet will continue performing their duties until a new government is appointed. Political parties will now begin negotiations on forming a new cabinet.
The drone incident
On Thursday, May 7, several drones entered Latvian territory from the Russian side. One of them crashed on the grounds of an oil depot in Rezekne. Kyiv later confirmed that the drones were Ukrainian. According to that account, they entered Latvian airspace after Russian electronic warfare systems knocked them off course.
Context
About six months earlier, Latvia had already faced a political crisis tied to an attempt to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on combating violence against women. The move prompted widespread public discontent, and in the end the Saeima left the issue to the next convocation.