Latvia and Finland will co-host the men’s Ice Hockey World Championship games in 2030, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced, LSM reports. The joint bid by the Latvian capital, Riga, and the Finnish capital, Helsinki, was the only contender for the games in May-June 2030. The semifinal and final matches will be played in Helsinki….
The average monthly gross wage in Latvia amounted to EUR 1,831 in the first quarter of 2026, which was an increase of EUR 73 (4.2%) from the same period of 2025, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reported. The average wage rose by 4.6% in the public sector and 4.1%…
Latvians and Lithuanians work longer hours than Estonians, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The average working hours for employed persons in both Latvia and Lithuania stood at 38.3 hours per week in 2024, compared to just 36.5 hours in Estonia. The EU average was 36.0 hours. For employees, average working hours were 38.6 hours…
Latvia’s GDP totalled EUR 9.9bn at current prices in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reported. Compared to the same period of 2025, the GDP rose by 2.5% at constant prices, according to seasonally and calendar non-adjusted data. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, the…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved a new four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs of the United List, LSM reports. Altogether 66 MPs voted for and 25 against the new right-of-centre government. Besides the United List, the new ruling coalition includes the National Alliance, New Unity, and the Union of Greens…
Baltic transport ministers have discussed Lithuania’s proposal to stop seasonal time changes, LSM reports. Latvia’s outgoing Transport Minister, Atis Svinka, said that the Baltic ministers conceptually supported a transition to permanent summer time. He stressed that the Baltic States needed to have a unified position on the question, pointing to the example of the Estonian-Latvian…
Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has searched three hospitals in Riga and Valmiera in a case involving suspected fraud of EU and state budget funds, LSM reports. KNAB carried out searches in more than 17 locations across Latvia, including at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) and the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital…
Latvia’s prime minister nominee, MP Andris Kulbergs of the opposition party alliance, United List, has announced the composition of his incoming four-party coalition government, LSM reports. The Kulbergs cabinet would have 14 male and just 2 female ministers. The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, will vote on approving the government on 28 May 2026. Besides Kulbergs…
Four political groups in Latvia have agreed on the programme of a new coalition government and the distribution of ministerial portfolios, LSM reports. The United List’s MP, Andris Kulbergs, will serve as prime minister, and the party alliance will also hold the posts of ministers of finance, justice, and regional development. Outgoing Prime Minister Evika…
