The "Progressives" party sharply criticized Prime Minister Evika Siliņa following the resignation of Defense Minister Andris Sprūds. The party believes that the head of government is effectively destroying the coalition and no longer considers her partners.
The political crisis in the Latvian coalition continues to intensify following the conflict surrounding the Ministry of Defense.
Andris Šuvaev, the head of the "Progressives" faction in the Saeima, stated that Prime Minister Evika Siliņa has effectively "thrown the coalition agreement in the trash."
According to the politician, "New Unity" no longer takes the opinion of the "Progressives" into account, and the Prime Minister, in his view, undermines the work of the government with her actions.
"She has effectively thrown the coalition agreement in the trash and for unclear reasons wants to overthrow her own government," Šuvaev said on Latvian television.
The conflict flared up after Defense Minister Andris Sprūds announced his resignation on Sunday. Almost simultaneously, the Prime Minister demanded his departure and proposed Colonel Raivis Melņis for the position of Minister of Defense.
Siliņa stated that the defense ministry should be headed by a professional, especially after the incidents with drones in Latgale and criticism of the actions of the security system.
However, the "Progressives" believe that the decision was made without proper discussion within the coalition.
Šuvaev claims that party representatives tried to contact the Prime Minister on Friday and Saturday but received no response.
According to him, Culture Minister Agnese Lāce did join the Sunday meeting, but by that time, the main decisions had already been effectively made.
Now the "Progressives" must decide whether they will continue working in the coalition. The party plans to make a final decision on Monday.
At the same time, Šuvaev emphasized that when voting on the candidacy of the new Minister of Defense, the party will primarily consider the interests of national security.
Siliņa herself previously suggested that if the "Progressives" leave the coalition, a technical government may begin to operate in Latvia.
For Latvian politics, this would mean an extremely unstable situation — especially against the backdrop of security issues, increasing threats on the eastern border, and the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine.
Currently, the fate of the coalition largely depends on whether the partners can restore dialogue in the coming days.
Meanwhile, an assessment of the actions of the National Armed Forces continues after the incidents with drones in Latgale, as well as discussions on further strengthening air defense.
