Latvian President holds coalition talks after prime minister resigns

Saturday 16 May 2026 - 11:15

Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs has begun consultations with the six political parties represented in parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, according to national public broadcaster LSM.

The talks, held on Friday, come one day after the collapse of the governing coalition, which forced the prime minister to step down. President Rinkēvičs met with party representatives to assess possible options for forming a new government. However, he has not yet announced whether he will assign a specific political leader the task of building a new cabinet.

Despite the political uncertainty, the president expressed confidence that a stable government could still be formed with sufficient support in the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament, ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for October.

Discussions between the president and parliamentary factions are expected to continue over the weekend as political parties negotiate possible alliances and governing arrangements.

Prime Minister Evika Siliņa resigned on Thursday after one of the coalition partners withdrew its support, leading to the immediate collapse of the ruling alliance and triggering a government crisis.