Andris Kulbergs may lead the Latvian government following the drone scandal
Kyiv • UNN
The President of Latvia has nominated Andris Kulbergs for Prime Minister following Siliņa's resignation. The cause was disputes regarding the response to drone crashes in the country.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs has nominated Andris Kulbergs of the "United List" party to form a new government following the resignation of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on Thursday due to disagreements over the armed forces' response to a drone incursion last week, UNN reports, citing Bloomberg.
"Kulbergs has my full support and confidence," Rinkēvičs stated at a press conference in Riga. "Given recent events, I believe the government should be formed by members of an opposition party."
The 46-year-old Kulbergs, whose "United List" party is in opposition to the current three-party ruling coalition, has until May 25 to demonstrate progress in forming a new government capable of securing a majority in parliament.
Context
The publication notes that Latvia, a frontline member of the European Union and NATO's eastern flank, is struggling to safely intercept drones crossing its border with Russia. These often include Ukrainian drones that have veered off course due to signal interference.
"This is a particularly difficult moment when political forces must think together about the state and the stability of the country," Kulbergs said after his nomination. "Security is an obvious priority," he said, adding that he would try to create the broadest possible coalition.
Siliņa resigned following a conflict with her junior coalition partner over two Ukrainian drones that crashed into an empty oil storage facility in eastern Latvia last week.
Kulbergs is relatively new to politics, having first entered parliament in 2022.