Evika Siliņa

Evika Siliņa
Siliņa in September 2023
24th Prime Minister of Latvia
In office
15 September 2023 – 28 May 2026
PresidentEdgars Rinkēvičs
Preceded byKrišjānis Kariņš
Succeeded byAndris Kulbergs
Minister of Welfare
In office
14 December 2022 – 15 September 2023
Preceded byGatis Eglītis
Succeeded byUldis Augulis
Member of the Saeima
In office
1 November 2022 – 14 December 2022
Personal details
Born (1975-08-03) 3 August 1975
Riga, Latvia
Political partyUnity
Spouse(s)Aigars Siliņš
Children3
EducationUniversity of Latvia
Riga Graduate School of Law

Evika Siliņa (born 3 August 1975) is a Latvian politician who was the 24th Prime Minister of Latvia from September 2023 until May 2026.[1] She was Minister of Welfare and Member of the Saeima.

Early life

Siliņa was born in Riga, Latvia on 3 August 1975.[2] She studied law at the University of Latvia and at the Riga Graduate School of Law.[3] From 2003 to 2012, Siliņa worked as a solo attorney focused on international and domestic business law.[4] She also provided legal services to telecommunications and internet companies and helped establish and advise non-governmental organizations during this time.[4]

Priemership

On 16 August 2023, after the resignation of Krišjānis Kariņš, New Unity nominated Siliņa as candidate for prime minister.[5] On 24 August, she was asked by President Edgars Rinkēvičs to form a government.[6]

On 29 August, United List said they did not want to be a part of a four-party coalition government after an offer by Siliņa.[7] On 1 September, Siliņa said that she wanted to create a new parliamentary majority with the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and The Progressives (P).[8] Twelve days later she created a new government, in which New Unity (JV) had seven ministries, ZZS four and P three, with Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš hired as Minister of Foreign Affairs.[9]

The government coalition led by Siliņa won the confidence of the parliamentary majority in the Saeima on 15 September 2023, winning 53 votes.[10]

Siliņa said that she supports the Russian-speaking minority in the country and creating an education system based on the Latvian language.[2] She also wanted to increase the military budget and complete the construction of the barrier on the country's border with Russia and Belarus.[2] Siliņa is the second woman to become prime minister of Latvia.[11]

On 14 May 2026, Siliņa announced her resignation as prime minister after the Progressives ended their support from her government.[12] They did so after Siliņa fired Defence Minister Andris Spruds after the explosion of two drones in eastern Latvia during the Russo-Ukrainian war.[13]

Personal life

Siliņa is married to Aigars Siliņš.[2] They couple have three children.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Saeima ar 53 balsīm apstiprina Evikas Siliņas valdību". www.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Evika Silina führt Lettlands neue Regierungskoalition". Die Presse (in German). 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Evika Siliņa". 26 May 2019. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Parlamentārā sekretāre – Iekšlietu ministrija". 3 September 2018. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "«Jaunā Vienotība» oficiāli virza premjera amatam labklājības ministri Eviku Siliņu". www.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  6. ↑ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "Latvian Minister Asked To Take PM Role". www.barrons.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "United List declines Siliņa's four-party coalition offer". www.lsm.lv. 29 August 2023. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "No more tangos: Siliņa to offer another three-party coalition with reduced Saeima majority". www.lsm.lv. 1 September 2023. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "Precise shape of proposed new Latvian government revealed". www.lsm.lv. 13 September 2023. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Eglitis, Aaron. "Latvia Gets New Prime Minister Evika Silina With Parliament Majority". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "Evika Siliņa is Latvia's new prime minister". POLITICO. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 18 September 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Latvian prime minister resigns after controversy over stray Ukrainian drones". AP News. 2026-05-14. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  13. ↑ Gozzi, Laura (2026-05-14). "Latvian PM Evika Silina resigns over response to drone incursions". BBC. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
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