Latvian prime minister announces resignation

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins on Monday said he would resign later in the week, along with the rest of his government.

Karins is reportedly hoping an election will help him reconfigure the government after current coalition partners rejected his proposed Cabinet reshuffle.

"This Thursday I will submit the resignation of myself and this Cabinet to the president," Karins told a press conference.

Why is the Latvian PM resigning?

Karins is at the helm of a three-way alliance of his liberal-conservative New Unity party, the conservative National Alliance and the center-right electoral alliance United List.

For some time, the 58-year-old has been pushing to widen the coalition to include the Alliance of Farmers and Greens and the left-leaning Progressives. However, his two coalition partners have repeatedly expressed reservations about the move.

Both parties last Wednesday did not give their approval to Karins' choice for three ministerial posts, and also withheld their approval for several policy projects. Karins said on Friday that he faced a choice between working with the current coalition or seeking to build a new one. 

In a tweet, Karins said the two parties were blocking a planned work an welfare policy, as well as economic growth. 

Karins said his party planned to select its candidate for the post of prime minister next Wednesday.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics would have to give a mandate for any potential prime minister to try to form a government. Before any new coalition could take office, a vote in parliament would also be necessary.

The next Latvian election for parliament is not scheduled until 2026. The Baltic country shares a border with both Russia and Belarus.

rc/rt (dpa, Reuters)