Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karin announced on Monday that he will resign with his entire government on Thursday and that he will not seek to continue as prime minister in a new executive even if his New Unity (JV) party may form it.
“Today I have informed the leaders of the JV party to present a new candidate for prime minister,” the US-born 58-year-old politician told reporters.
Karins said that although she will not lead the next government, she will do whatever it takes to support it being led by someone from the JV and including the Progressive Social Democrats (Pro) and the Greens and Farmers. Alliance (ZZS).
Under the Latvian Constitution, President Edgars Rinkevics is the only one authorized to nominate a new prime ministerial candidate to form a government.
Turning to his coalition partners in the current government, Karins said the nationalist National Alliance (NA) and the centrist-conservative United List (AS) had blocked the dynamism needed to press ahead with critical reforms.
The break in the coalition became apparent last Friday, when NA and AS representatives held an impromptu press conference to say they disagreed with Karins’ proposals to expand the coalition by adding Pro and ZZS.
Karins has been Prime Minister in two different coalition governments after the national elections of 2018 and 2022, he was Minister of Economy between 2004 and 2006, and between 2009 and 2019 he was an MEP.
Asked if he would be a candidate in next year’s European elections, Karins declined to give a clear answer, saying he is currently concerned about the immediate issues.
