Latvia president taps opposition politician to form government
May 17, 2026
Riga [Latvia], May 17: Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics on Saturday tasked opposition politician Andris Kulbergs with forming a new government, two days after Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned.
The 46-year-old Kulbergs, a member of the centre-right United List - the strongest opposition force in parliament - has been given until May 25 to assemble a viable coalition. Rinkevics said after talks with all six parties represented in parliament that recent developments made it appropriate for an opposition figure to lead the next government.
Kulbergs thanked the president for his confidence and said five parties had expressed willingness to cooperate. "I hope we can form a broad coalition," said the former head of Latvia's automobile association, who has served in parliament since 2022. The United List holds 13 of the 100 seats in the legislature in Riga.
Silina submitted her resignation on Thursday after one of her two coalition partners, the left-leaning Progressives, withdrew their support.The political crisis comes just months before parliamentary elections scheduled for early October.
Source: Qatar Tribune
