The Prime Minister of Latvia Will Head Another Ministry: What Happened in the Government?

According to bb.lv, citing the press secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers Laura Krastiņa, the head of government Andris Kulbergs ("United List") will serve as the acting Minister of Justice until further notice. On Wednesday, November 4, the Prime Minister accepted the resignation of Edvards Smiltenš, who is leaving the government due to his election as Speaker of the Parliament. According to the order, his last day at the Ministry of Justice will be November 4. Kulbergs intends to temporarily lead the agency until the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers is approved by the Saeima. ## Why Did the Prime Minister Decide to Personally Head the Ministry? According to Kulbergs, the main task now is to ensure the stable operation of the Ministry of Justice, the continuation of ongoing reforms, and the uninterrupted functioning of public administration. The Prime Minister thanked Smiltenš for his work in the government and wished him success in his role as Speaker of the Saeima. He also noted that under Smiltenš's leadership, the Ministry of Justice continued its work to strengthen the rule of law and improve the judicial system. ## Smiltenš Returns to the Speaker's Chair Edvards Smiltenš was elected as the Speaker of the 15th Saeima on Tuesday, November 3. For the politician, this is not his first experience leading the Latvian Parliament. In 2022, he headed the 14th Saeima, but later, after the "United List" moved to the opposition, the speaker's position was taken by Daiga Miēriņa from the "Union of Greens and Farmers." After the fall of the government of Evika Siliņa, the new Cabinet of Ministers was formed by Andris Kulbergs, and Smiltenš received the portfolio of Minister of Justice. ## How Has the Political Situation Changed? As a result of the elections to the 15th Saeima, the "United List" received 41 parliamentary mandates, becoming the largest political force in the parliament. The party "Latvia First" won 17 seats, the coalition "Sovereign Power / Young Latvians Union" received 15, the National Alliance and the "Progressives" each got ten, while "New Unity" secured seven. Smiltenš has many years of political experience. He has previously been elected as a deputy of the 10th, 11th, and 12th Saeimas, and held the positions of parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Education and Science. In 2020, the politician participated in the extraordinary elections to the Riga City Council, after which he became the deputy chairman of the capital's municipality. Now Smiltenš will once again head the parliament, while Kulbergs will temporarily combine the leadership of the government with the duties of the Minister of Justice. It is not yet reported when the new Minister of Justice will be appointed.