Latvia’s New Unity party has nominated Welfare Minister Evika Silina as the party’s candidate for prime minister, LSM reports. She would replace New Unity leader Krisjanis Karins, who announced his resignation on 14 August 2023. Silina said that she would begin informal negotiations with political parties on the formation of a coalition government quickly. She…
Latvia’s Riga City Council is likely to elect New Unity’s Vilnis Kirsis as the city’s new mayor, LSM reports. Kirsis has served as acting mayor since previous mayor Martins Stakis resigned in early July 2023. The city council is scheduled to vote on the election of a new mayor on 17 August 2023. Kirsis said…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced that he intended to resign, LSM reports. He said that he would inform President Edgars Rinkevics about the resignation on 17 August 2023. Karins said that he would not head the next government and called on his New Unity party to nominate a new candidate for prime minister. Earlier,…
Estonia should strengthen cooperation with Taiwan and consider opening a Taiwanese representative office (Taipei Mission) in Tallinn, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, stated, ERR reports. Speaking after a joint visit by the heads of the foreign affairs committees of Baltic parliaments to Taiwan, Mihkelson noted that…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) announced his intention to end the current government coalition and form a new one, LSM reports. He said that New Unity’s current coalition partners, the National Alliance and the United List, had rejected his proposals for a ministerial reshuffle and revised policy priorities. Karins said that he would…
The state budget control select committee of Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, held an extraordinary session on 8 August 2023 to discuss a controversy over alleged “horse trading” by the Office of the President, ERR reports. Earlier, presidential adviser Toomas Sildam had an informal discussion with Merike Saks, secretary general of the Ministry of Finance, in…
Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) has proposed a reshuffle of key ministerial posts in his three-party coalition government, LETA reports. Karins proposed that National Alliance MP Rihards Kols become foreign minister and that the United List take over the Ministry of Economy and New Unity the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development….
Latvia’s ruling New Unity party retained its lead in opinion polls in July 2023, according to the latest SKDS survey, LSM reports. New Unity had the support of 12.6% of respondents, which was up from 11.5% in June 2023. The Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) came in second with 8.0% support (7.5%), followed by…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called for a review of existing electricity distribution tariffs, LSM reports. Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, Rinkevics said that the behaviour of the market regulator, the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK), was “unacceptable.” He insisted that the increase in electricity tariffs was “disproportionate.” The new tariffs came into…