Representatives of the current ruling coalition in Latvia’s Riga city council — New Unity, Code for Riga, National Alliance (NA), and the Latvian Association of Regions (LRA) — called for “statesmanlike thinking” in the work of the coalition, LETA reports. In a public statement, the factions emphasised that the current coalition should continue. Deputy mayor…
The mayor of Latvia’s capital Riga, Martins Stakis, has resigned, LSM reports. He said that the move was due to disagreements within the ruling coalition regarding an investigation into alleged violations in the management practices and use of funds in the city’s transport department. A new mayor needs to be elected within two months, Baltic…
Renovation work on the ground floor of Latvia’s Riga City Hall has started, LETA reports. The Riga City Council awarded the EUR 142,000 contract to Riga-based construction company UL Nami, which is owned by Uldis Lieknins. Under the project, the company will renovate the lobby on the ground floor of the City Hall building by…
Three people drowned in the Baltic Sea at the same time off the Latvian coast in Carnikava on 1 July 2023, DELFI reports. The three people — two young men and a 40-year-old woman — were swept away by strong waves and underwater currents. When rescuers arrived at the scene, the three persons were already…
The finals of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival’s choir competition took place on 1 July 2023, TVNET reports. The winner in the mixed choir competition was the youth choir, Kamer. In the women’s choirs competition, the grand prize went to the Ventspils Culture Centre’s Venda choir. In the men’s choir group, the grand prize…
The Latvian nation was born 150 years ago during the Latvian Song Festival, President Egils Levits said at the opening ceremony of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival procession on 2 July 2023, LETA reported. People from Latvia’s Kurzeme, Vidzeme, and Zemgale regions united into a single Latvian nation at the first Song Festival in…
The Latvian political activist, Valentins Jeremejevs, has released several videos in which he claims that 2,000 families in Latvia will be evicted from their homes due to the construction of the Rail Baltica railway, Re:Baltica reports. Jeremejevs’s most popular video on TikTok has been viewed by almost 150,000 people and on Facebook by 2,300 people….
Latvian political scientists Juris Rozenvalds and Ilga Kreituse criticised outgoing president Egils Levits in an interview on DELFI’s podcast with Danuta Dembovska. Professor Rozenvalds of the University of Latvia said that Levits’s foreign policy activity was positive, whereas the president’s achievements in domestic policy were “zero.” Levits promised a lot but failed to deliver, Rozenvalds…
Exiled Russian liberal opposition leader, economist Vladimir Milov, says Russians are not welcome in Latvia and advises Russian emigrants to leave the country, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview with LSM’s Russian service, Milov noted that the pro-Russian position of many Russian-speakers in Latvia leaves an imprint on all Russians. "Even if you are the…