Latvia’s New Unity party has nominated Welfare Minister Evika Silina as the party’s candidate for prime minister, LSM reports. She would replace New Unity leader Krisjanis Karins, who announced his resignation on 14 August 2023. Silina said that she would begin informal negotiations with political parties on the formation of a coalition government quickly. She…
The number of unemployed people in Latvia totalled 60,600 in the second quarter of 2023, which was 2,200 fewer than in the same period of 2022, according to the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the number of unemployed rose by 800. Latvia’s unemployment rate stood at 6.4%, which…
Latvia’s population totalled 1,882,600 people at the end of the first half of 2023, which was 8,400 fewer than in the beginning of 2023, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s provisional data, LSM reports. The number of deaths amounted to 14,291 (down 9.1%) and live births to 7,051 (down 12.1%). Latvia’s natural population growth was…
Latvia’s construction output increased by 16.1% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reports. Construction of buildings rose by 23.2%, specialised construction activities by 17.5%, and civil engineering works by 2.6% over a year. In the second…
Latvia’s Riga City Council is likely to elect New Unity’s Vilnis Kirsis as the city’s new mayor, LSM reports. Kirsis has served as acting mayor since previous mayor Martins Stakis resigned in early July 2023. The city council is scheduled to vote on the election of a new mayor on 17 August 2023. Kirsis said…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced that he intended to resign, LSM reports. He said that he would inform President Edgars Rinkevics about the resignation on 17 August 2023. Karins said that he would not head the next government and called on his New Unity party to nominate a new candidate for prime minister. Earlier,…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) announced his intention to end the current government coalition and form a new one, LSM reports. He said that New Unity’s current coalition partners, the National Alliance and the United List, had rejected his proposals for a ministerial reshuffle and revised policy priorities. Karins said that he would…
Latvia’s foreign trade turnover totalled EUR 21.39bn at current prices in the first half of 2023, which was down EUR 963.9mn (4.3%) from the corresponding period of 2022, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. The total value of exports amounted to EUR 9.62bn (down 4.5%) and of imports to EUR…
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, posted the highest ever revenue and profit in the company’s history in the first half of 2023, LSM reports. The company’s six-month revenue totalled EUR 291mn, which was up 52% from a year earlier. Net profit amounted to EUR 14.6mn, which was up sharply from a net loss of EUR…
