The share of renewable sources in total energy consumption in the Baltic States was highest in Latvia in 2022, LSM reports. Eurostat data showed that 43.3% of Latvia’s gross final energy consumption came from renewable sources in 2022, which was up from 42.1% in 2021. Estonia came in second with 38.5% (37.4%), followed by Lithuania…
All 43 Latvian municipalities are mandated to establish local police units as of 1 January 2024, according to recent legal amendments, LSM reports. Seven municipalities, including Rezekne and Ventspils, failed to establish their own police units by the deadline, however. Some municipalities have opted to merge with neighbouring areas. Financial concerns delayed municipal compliance, as…
Half of Latvia’s population think that adopting the euro in 2014 was a good idea, according to a Norstat poll for LSM. The survey showed that 51% of Latvian residents believe that switching to the EU’s official currency was a good decision. Younger individuals were more likely to support the euro, while the more elderly…
Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) has detained a Russian citizen on suspicion of espionage, LSM reported. VDD searched five premises in and around Riga and confiscated a large volume of media and documents. VDD found that the person had collected and transferred information regarding critical infrastructure and military objects in Latvia for Russian intelligence. In…
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina’s New Year message emphasised the significance of education for the nation’s future prosperity, LSM reported. Speaking from Riga Technical University, she underscored the importance of science and learning to compete globally. Silina called for investing in children, highlighting the role of education in shaping their future. She paid tribute to…
In his New Year’s message, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics reflected on the anticipation of the “moment before” the new year, filled with aspirations for change and new goals, LSM reported. Acknowledging that past resolutions may not have been fully realised, the President encouraged carrying over hopes into the new year, turning them into concrete goals…
Latvian businesses urge the government to ease the rules on the entry of foreign labour into the country, LSM reports. Speaking at a conference on human capital development in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, business representatives and market analysts noted that Latvia’s human resources were exhausted. They called for improving labour availability through relaxed rules…
The Latvian government has approved a draft law on ratifying the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence, LSM reports. An accompanying declaration states that Latvia will apply the convention in line with the Constitution, “in particular with regard to the protection of human rights, equality between women and men,…
The average level of consumer prices in Latvia rose by 3.3% in September 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s data, LSM reports. The rise in food prices accounted for 1.5 percentage points, alcohol and tobacco for 0.6 percentage points, and health care for 0.6 percentage points of…