Government & politics — Latvia

• 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia)
• 4 May 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union)
• 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

• Independence Day (Republic of Latvia Proclamation Day), 18 November (1918)
• note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia established its statehood and its concomitant independence from Soviet Russia
• 4 May 1990 was the date it declared the restoration of Latvian statehood and its concomitant independence from the Soviet Union

• history: several previous (pre-1991 independence); note - following the restoration of independence in 1991, parts of the 1922 constitution were reintrod
• uced 4 May 1990 and fully reintroduced 6 July 1993 amendments: proposed by two thirds of Parliament members or by petition of one tenth of qualified voters submitted through the president; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of three readings; amendment of constitutional articles, including national sovereignty, language, the parliamentary electoral system, and constitutional amendment procedures, requires passage in a referendum by majority vote of at least one half of the electorate; amended several times, last in 2019

• chief of state: Pres
• Prime Minister Evika SILINA (since 15 September 2023) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister,
• appointed by Parliament elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 May 2023 (next to be held in 2027); prime minister appointed by the president,
• confirmed by Parliament election results: 2023: Edgars RINKEVICS elected president in the third round; Parliament vote - Edgars RINKEVICS (Unity Party) 52, Uldis Pīlēns (independent) 25;
• Evika SILINA confirmed as prime minister 53-39 2019: Egils LEVITS elected president; Parliament vote - Egils LEVITS (independent) 61, Didzis SMITS (KPV LV) 24, Juris JANSONS (independent) 8;
• Krisjanis KARINS confirmed as prime minister 61-39 note: on 15 September 2023, Parliament voted 53-39 to approve Prime Minister Evika SILINA

Description

unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections

last held on 1 October 2012 (next to be held no later than 3 October 2026)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party - JV 19.2%, ZZS 12.6%, AS 11.1%, NA 9.4%, S! 6.9%, LPV 6.3%, and PRO 6.2%
• seats by party - JV 26, ZZS 16, AS 15, NA 13, S! 11, LPV 9, and PRO 10

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the Senate with 36 judges); Constitutional Co
• urt (consists of 7 judges) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by chief justice and confirmed by the Saeima; judges serve until age 70, but term can be extended 2 years; Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by Saeima members, 2 by Cabinet ministers, and 2 by plenum of Supreme Court; all judges confirmed by Saeima majority vote; Constitutional Court president and vice president serve in their positions for 3 years; all judges serve 10-year terms;
• mandatory retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: district (city) and regional courts

Summary

36 municipalities (novadi, singular - novads) and 7 state

Regions or States

• cities (valstpilsetu pasvaldibas
• singular valstspilsetas pasvaldiba) municipalities: Adazi
• Aizkraukle
• Aluksne
• Augsdaugava
• Balvi
• Bauska
• Cesis
• Dienvidkurzeme
• Dobele
• Gulbene
• Jekabpils
• Jelgava
• Kekava
• Kraslava
• Kuldiga
• Limbazi
• Livani
• Ludza
• Madona
• Marupe
• Ogre
• Olaine
• Preili
• Rezekne
• Ropazi
• Salaspils
• Saldus
• Saulkrasti
• Sigulda
• Smiltene
• Talsi
• Tukums
• Valka
• Valmiera
• Varaklani
• Ventspils cities: Daugavpils
• Jelgava
• Jurmala
• Liepaja
• Rezekne
• Riga
• Ventspils

• Development/For! or AP! [Daniels PAVLUTS, Ivars IJABS]
• For Stability or S! [Aleksejs ROSLIKOVS]
• Latvia First [Ainars SLESERS]
• Latvian Green Party or LZP (Edgars TAVARS)
• National Alliance "All For Latvia!"-"For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK" or NA [Raivis DZINTARS]
• New Unity or JV [Arturs Krišjānis KARINS]
• Social Democratic Party "Harmony" or S [Janis URBANOVICS]
• The Progressives or PRO [Kaspars BRISKENS]
• Union of Greens and Farmers or ZZS [Aivars LEMBERGS]
• United List or AS [Uldis PILENS] (electoral coalition including the Latvian Green Party or LZP, Latvian Association of Regions or LRA, Liepaja Party)

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one p
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Christopher ROBINSON (since 21 February 2023) embassy: 1 Samnera Velsa Street (former Remtes), Riga LV-1510 mailing address: 4520 Riga Place, Washington DC 20521-4520

telephone

[371] 6710-7000

FAX

[371] 6710-7050

Email address and website

• askconsular-riga@state.gov
• https://lv.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Maris SELGA (since 16 September 2019)

chancery

2306 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 328-2840

FAX

[1] (202) 328-2860

Email address and website

• embassy.usa@mfa.gov.lv
• https://www2.mfa.gov.lv/en/usa