Latvian Prime Minister Announces Resignation

On Monday, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said he would resign later in the week, along with the rest of his government.

Karens is said to be hoping the election will help him reconfigure the government after current coalition partners rejected the proposed reshuffle.

"This Thursday I will submit the resignation of myself and this Cabinet to the president," Karins told a press conference.

Karins is at the head of a tripartite coalition that includes his new Liberal-Conservative Unity Party, the Conservative National Alliance, and the center-right Electoral Alliance's United List.

For some time, the 58-year-old had been pushing for an expansion of the coalition to include an alliance of farmers, greens, and left-leaning progressives. 

However, his coalition partners have repeatedly expressed reservations about the move.

Last Wednesday, the two parties did not give their approval for Karens' selection of three cabinet posts, and they also withheld approval for several policy projects. Karens said on Friday that he faces a choice between working with the existing coalition or seeking to build a new one.

In a tweet, Karins mentioned that two parties were blocking a planned welfare policy action, as well as economic growth.

Karins said his party plans to choose its candidate for prime minister next Wednesday.

Latvian President Edgar Renkivics will have to give a mandate to any potential prime minister to try to form a government. Before any new coalition takes office, a vote in Parliament will also be necessary.

The next parliamentary elections in Latvia are not scheduled until 2026. The Baltic Sea country shares borders with both Russia and Belarus.