Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics plans to propose lowering the threshold for holding public referendums on legislative changes, LSM reports. Rinkevics discussed the issue with Prime Minister Evika Silina and leaders of parliamentary groups, LETA reported. He will invite constitutional experts to join the discussions. Edmunds Jurevics, leader of New Unity’s parliamentary group, and Harijs Rokpelnis,…
Parties in Latvia’s coalition government will discuss possible changes to the management of the country’s national air carrier, airBaltic, LSM reports. Earlier, the airline announced that it would cancel nearly 4,700 flights in summer 2025 due to delays in aircraft engine maintenance. The company insisted that the delays were beyond its control. Aviation industry experts…
Latvia’s ruling New Unity regained its position as the country’s most popular political party in June 2024, according to a SKDS poll, LSM reports. New Unity’s support stood at 10.9%, which was up from 7.2% in April 2024. The opposition National Alliance came in second with 9.9% (8.1%), followed by Latvia First with 7.3% (6.6%)….
Negotiations about possible changes to Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina’s government may resume at the end of summer 2024, with discussions about potentially expanding the coalition, LETA reports. Maris Kucinskis of the opposition United List confirmed the group’s interest in joining the government but only as a unified party. Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze acknowledged informal…
Latvia’s Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), which is part of the country’s current coalition government, will continue to cooperate with former Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs despite him having been sentenced to prison for corruption, LSM reports. Harijs Rokpelnis, chairman of the ZZS parliamentary group, pointed out that the court verdict had not entered into…
Latvia’s Riga Regional Court has sentenced former Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs to four years in prison and confiscation of property, LSM reports. The second-instance court found Lembergs guilty of taking bribes, money laundering, unauthorised participation in a property transaction, and falsification of documents. At the same time, the court acquitted him of charges of concealing…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has elected MP Daiga Mierina of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) as its new speaker, LSM reports. She replaces United List’s Edvards Smiltens. Mierina was only elected at the fourth ballot after the two front-runners for the post, Gunars Kutris of ZZS and United List’s Maris Sprindzuks, were…
Latvia’s parliament, the Saeima, has approved a new coalition government led by Evika Silina with 53 votes for and 29 against, LSM reports. The three-party coalition consists of Silina’s centre-right New Unity party, the conservative Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), and the social-democratic Progressives. New Unity’s previous coalition partners, the National Alliance and the…
Latvia’s New Unity, Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), and Progressives have agreed on the distribution of seats in their new coalition government, LETA reports. New Unity will have eight, ZZS will have five, and the Progressives will have three seats in the new cabinet. The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is due to approve the…