Maris Kucinskis has been officially named prime minister of Latvia following a parliamentary confidence vote on Thursday. Kucinskis heads the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) political party which formed a coalition with the Unity and National Alliance. Kucinskis’ appointment follows the resignation of Laimdota Straujuma of the Unity party in December.
The new prime minister is expected to continue the policies of the previous government, with a focus on strengthening the economy, improving health care and education and increasing military presence in the eastern regions to combat growing concerns over Russia. The Latvian economy grew by an estimated 2.5 percent in 2015.
