Latvia’s left-of-centre party, the Progressives, will not leave the country’s three-party coalition government for now, Andris Suvajevs, leader of the party’s parliamentary group, announced, LETA reports. However, he insisted that Prime Minister Evika Silina, head of the ruling New Unity party, was unable to lead the government. The Progressives will invite Silina for talks. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that New Unity would consult coalition partners on whether they can continue working together, LSM reported.
Earlier, Silina forced the resignation of Defence Minister Andris Spruds of the Progressives, citing loss of trust in the minister after recent drone incidents. Suvajevs said that Silina had failed to inform the Progressives of her decision in advance, while Silina said that Spruds had not informed her personally of his resignation, LETA reported. She did not ask the Progressives to nominate another person to replace Spruds, but instead asked her adviser, Colonel Raivis Melnis, to assume the defence minister portfolio.
Armands Krauze, chairman of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), said that his party was ready to continue working in the current coalition. Meanwhile, Ilze Indriksone, leader of the national-conservative opposition party, National Alliance, announced that her party was ready to invite New Unity, ZZS, and the centre-right opposition party, United List, to negotiations on forming a new government, LSM reported. She argued that the current coalition had “exhausted itself” and “lost its ability to lead the country.”