For opposition leader Kullberg to succeed, his cabinet still needs to be approved by parliament.
Posted: May 16, 2026
Latvian President Edgars Linkevic has backed opposition lawmaker Andris Kulberis to replace Evika Silina after the prime minister resigned over a Ukraine drone-related incident.
Kulberg, leader of the United List of Small Party, which makes up the largest opposition bloc in parliament, will take office once lawmakers approve him and his cabinet.
“Considering recent events, I think the new prime minister should come from the opposition,” President Linkevic said at a press conference last Saturday.
Last weekend, former Prime Minister Silina fired Defense Minister Andris Spruz after two Ukrainian drones entered Latvia from Russia and exploded at an oil storage facility.
The incident is the latest in a series of incidents that have occurred in NATO member states Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
“The drone incident clearly demonstrated that the political leadership of the defense sector has failed to deliver on its commitment to safe skies for our country,” Silina said in explaining Spruge’s forced resignation.
The next day, Silina’s left-wing coalition partner, the Progressive Party, pulled the government’s support, leaving her without a majority. “I resign, but I do not give up,” Silina said in announcing her resignation in a televised statement on Thursday.
Silina has been prime minister since 2023.
President Linkevic settled in Kulberg after meeting representatives of all political parties in parliament, Reuters reported.
The president told reporters he had invited Kullberg to form his government. For Kulberg to succeed, his cabinet composition must still be approved by parliament.
Kulberis said he hoped to create an “enlarged coalition” that would govern Latvia until parliamentary elections are held on October 3.
“The president gave me 10 days,” he told reporters Saturday.
Prior to this, on May 7, two Ukrainian drones flew in from Russia, and one of them crashed into a gas station in eastern Latvia, causing a fire, which was quickly extinguished.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Wednesday he would send Ukrainian experts to Latvia to strengthen its air defenses after speaking with Linkevich at a summit in Romania.
