Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina has resigned, which means that her coalition government has collapsed, LSM reports. The opposition had planned to initiate a vote of no confidence in the prime minister. President Edgars Rinkevics will now consult parliamentary groups on forming a new government. Edgars Tavars, leader of the opposition United List’s parliamentary group, suggested that his party could form a new coalition with the National Alliance, the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), and part of Silina’s New Unity, LSM reported.
Silina blamed “political windbags” for creating the government crisis. Earlier, junior coalition partner, the Progressives, withdrew its support for the government, following the forced resignation of its representative, Andris Spruds, from the post of defence minister. Andris Suvajevs, leader of the party’s parliamentary group, said that there had been one coalition in the government and another in the parliament, the Saeima. The Progressives stated that the government had effectively lost its ability to function, LETA reported.