Three candidates reach final round for Latvia’s State Chancellery chief

Three candidates have reached the final round of the competition to lead Latvia’s State Chancellery, LSM reported, citing unofficial information obtained by news agency LETA. They are Agita Kalviņa, director of the State Administration School; Kaspars Gorkšs, director general of the Latvian Employers’ Confederation; and Ieva Jaunzeme, an employee of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency and former director general of the State Revenue Service.

The State Chancellery declined to disclose or comment on the candidates. Gorkšs and Kalviņa also declined to comment, while LETA has so far been unable to reach Jaunzeme.

The final round assesses candidates’ leadership skills, including strategic vision, decision-making and accountability, focus on results, change management and team leadership. The candidate or candidates with the highest scores will be recommended to the prime minister for nomination to the Cabinet for approval. The director will be appointed for a five-year term.

The competition received 18 applications, with three candidates advancing to the final round. It is the second contest for the position in a few months. The first competition, which had six applicants, found no suitable candidate, and a new contest was announced in early August. Several candidate requirements were substantially lowered in the second competition.

The director’s monthly salary is 7,255 euros before tax. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has said the previous competition failed because its criteria were unreasonably high and prevented many potential applicants from applying.

Former State Chancellery director Raivis Kronbergs was detained in May in the so-called timber processors case. He was first suspended from the post, and the parties later agreed that he would leave it.

The State Chancellery is the centre of Latvia’s government and supports the work of the Cabinet and prime minister. Its director is the highest-ranking civil servant.