Latvia approves new government after drone crisis, keeps hard line on Russia

Latvia installed a new government on Thursday after drone incursions helped bring down the previous coalition, a fast-moving political reset that underscored how security fears can shake power in a Baltic state bordering Russia. Andris Kulbergs, a centre-right opposition lawmaker, was approved as prime minister and tasked with steering the country through the months before the October 3 general election.

The Saeima backed the four-party coalition led by Kulbergs with 66 votes, giving the new cabinet a workable majority. The alliance brings together Kulbergs’ United List, former prime minister Evika Silina’s New Unity, the National Alliance and the Greens and Farmers’ Union. President Edgars Rinkevics moved quickly after Silina resigned on May 14, then gave Kulbergs 10 days on May 16 to assemble an interim government.

The coalition collapse was triggered by drone incidents that exposed deep unease over Latvia’s ability to respond to military threats. One Ukrainian drone crossed from Russia on May 7, struck a petrol depot in eastern Latvia and caused a fire that was quickly contained. Another stray drone crashed on March 25. Silina lost support after she fired Defense Minister Andris Spruds, a member of the Progressives, over the handling of the incidents. The episode showed how spillover from Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to reverberate well beyond the battlefield.

Kulbergs said his approach to Moscow would stay hard line. “Nothing is changing with respect to Russia and Ukraine,” he said. He said Latvia would remain outspoken about the need for the European Union to support the defense of the eastern front, and he named security, borders, the economy and energy as the cabinet’s top priorities.

The new government keeps some familiar faces in place, including Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, while bringing in Maris Kucinskis as finance minister and Colonel Raivis Melnis as defense minister. It is expected to stay broadly pro-EU and pro-NATO, a position that remains deeply rooted in Latvian politics even as security shocks test public confidence. Latvia has more than 1.8 million people, and the country’s leaders now face the challenge of reassuring voters that its defenses can match the risks on its frontier.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would send experts to Latvia to help improve air defenses. Political scientist Nils Muiznieks said there was broad consensus on foreign policy priorities, and the new cabinet is likely to preserve strong solidarity with Ukraine. Still, critics argue the drone incidents exposed weaknesses in Latvia’s military-threat response, a concern shared across Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland after recent stray drone incidents in all four countries.