Citskovskis Backs Gorkšs for State Chancellery Director

Jānis Citskovskis, a former director of Latvia's State Chancellery, has publicly backed Kaspars Gorkšs, director general of the Latvian Employers' Confederation (LDDK), as a suitable candidate for the post of State Chancellery director. The State Chancellery is the centre of Latvia's government, supporting its work and giving the prime minister data-based information for decision-making. Its director is the country's highest-ranking civil servant.

Citskovskis, who ran in the 15th Saeima election on the New Conservative Party list but was not elected to parliament, shared his view on Twitter. He said he knows all three finalists of the selection process fairly well: Agita Kalviņa, director of the State Administration School; Ieva Jaunzeme, a former director general of the State Revenue Service (VID); and Gorkšs. While heading the Chancellery, he selected and nominated Kalviņa and Jaunzeme for their earlier posts at the school and the VID respectively.

Assessment of the candidates

In Citskovskis's view, Kalviņa is more of a visionary and strategist and a professional in education, while Jaunzeme has the broadest experience in public administration. Even so, his choice would be Gorkšs. He believes Gorkšs is not yet fully ready, but has high potential to later become the team's main driving force. Given the support for change that Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (AS) received in the election, he argued, the country needs a director who will help carry out that change in step with political leadership.

The selection process

The competition ran in three rounds: of 18 applications, nine candidates advanced to the second round and three to the third. After the final round, Kulbergs decided to put Gorkšs forward. The matter will be considered at the government meeting on 13 October. Kulbergs said he expects the Chancellery to become a strong, data-based centre of government that helps decisions be made faster and more accurately.

Background

The previous director, Raivis Kronbergs, was detained in May in the so-called timber industrialists' case; the parties later agreed that he would leave the post. Citskovskis held the job from 2017 until July 2024, when he was demoted over the air travel scandal involving former prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš and chose to leave. He is now the only defendant in the trial over Kariņš's flights, and he denies guilt.