The director of Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), Jekabs Straume, has announced his early retirement, effective immediately, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, Straume said that he was retiring because he had turned 50. Straume led KNAB since June 2017 and was appointed for a second five-year term in June 2022….
The party congress of Lithuania’s governing coalition member, the Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL), has elected MEP Virginijus Sinkevicius as the party chairman for a four-year term, BNS reports. Sinkevicius defeated Health Minister Linas Kukuraitis soundly in the leadership vote. Sinkevicius has served as DSVL’s interim chairman since April 2026, following the resignation of…
Latvia’s Supreme Court has annulled the Riga Regional Court’s decision to acquit all defendants in the so-called second digital TV criminal case, LETA reports. The defendants include former transport minister Ainars Slesers, chairman of the populist Latvia First (LPV) party, former prime minister, prominent businessman Andris Skele, as well as several former executives at the…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved a new four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs of the United List, LSM reports. Altogether 66 MPs voted for and 25 against the new right-of-centre government. Besides the United List, the new ruling coalition includes the National Alliance, New Unity, and the Union of Greens…
Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has searched three hospitals in Riga and Valmiera in a case involving suspected fraud of EU and state budget funds, LSM reports. KNAB carried out searches in more than 17 locations across Latvia, including at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) and the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has asked MP Andris Kulbergs of the opposition United List to begin forming a new government, LSM reports. Rinkevics said that he chose Kulbergs because United List was the largest opposition group in the parliament, the Saeima, at the moment. Forming a new government was preferable to letting outgoing Prime Minister…
Latvia’s outgoing Prime Minister Evika Silina has dismissed Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) after the latter came under criminal investigation for abuse of office, LSM reported. Earlier, Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) briefly detained Krauze and the Agriculture Ministry’s former state secretary, current director of the…
Latvia’s opposition National Alliance and United List have reached a preliminary agreement with the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) to cooperate in forming a new government, LSM reports. However, the three groups only have 41 seats in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, which is 10 short of a majority. Forming a new government without…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has stripped former prime minister Gintautas Paluckas of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. The decision allows prosecutors to investigate Paluckas for alleged illicit enrichment and abuse of office. Paluckas and his wife, Ilma Palucke, are suspected of having acquired cars, real estate, and securities worth nearly EUR 344,600 with income…
