The politics of Latvia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic,whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government,and of a multi-party system. The President holds a primarily ceremonial role as Head of State. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament,the Saeima. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Latvia a "flawed democracy" in 2022.
The Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Latvia and the second oldest existing Latvian political party after the Latvian Farmers' Union. It is currently represented with two seats in the parliament of Latvia as a part of the Union of Greens and Farmers alliance after an absence of 20 years. The party tends to hold a less Russophilic view than fellow social-democratic party "Harmony".
Indulis Emsis is a Latvian biologist and politician. He was Prime Minister of Latvia for ten months in 2004,the first Green politician to lead a country in the history of the world. He was Speaker of the Saeima,the Latvian parliament from 2006 to 2007. Emsis' political views are described as rather conservative,unusual for members of green parties around the world.
The Latvian Green Party is a green political party in Latvia.
The Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation,with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,normally on the first Saturday of October. The most recent elections were held in October 2022.
The Union of Greens and Farmers is an agrarian political alliance in Latvia. It is made up of the Latvian Farmers' Union,Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party,and For Latvia and Ventspils.
Latvia has recognised civil unions since 1 July 2024. On 9 November 2023,the Saeima passed legislation establishing same-sex civil unions conferring similar rights and obligations as marriage with the exception of adoption and inheritance rights. The bill was signed into law by President Edgars Rinkēvičs in January 2024,and took effect on 1 July 2024. This followed a ruling from the Constitutional Court of Latvia on 12 November 2020 that the Latvian Constitution entitles same-sex couples to receive the same benefits and protections afforded by Latvian law to married opposite-sex couples,and gave the Saeima until 1 June 2022 to enact a law protecting same-sex couples. In December 2021,the Supreme Court ruled that should the Saeima fail to pass civil union legislation before the 1 June 2022 deadline,same-sex couples may apply to a court to have their relationship recognized. The Saeima failed to meet this deadline,and the first same-sex union was recognized by the Administrative District Court on 30 May 2022.
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 7 October 2006. The governing coalition,led by Prime Minister Aigars Kalvītis and his People's Party,won the election. Kalvitis's government thus became the first to be re-elected since Latvia had regained independence in 1991.
Ingrīda Latimira,formerly Ingrīda Ūdre,was a Latvian politician who belonged to the Latvian Farmers' Union political party.
The Christian Democratic Union is a minor Christian-democratic political party in Latvia. It is a member of the Awakening alliance and is currently led by Māra Viktorija Zilgalve and Secretary General Armands Agrums.
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 6 October 2018. Following the elections,a coalition government was formed by Who owns the state?,the New Conservative Party,Development/For!,the National Alliance and New Unity. Despite being from the smallest elected party,Arturs Krišjānis Kariņšof New Unity was chosen as prime minister.
Indirect presidential elections were held in Latvia on 2 June 2011. Incumbent president Valdis Zatlers was standing again,as well as Andris Bērziņš,a former head of SEB Unibanka;Bērziņšwas nominated by five Saeima members of the Union of Greens and Farmers just two days before the nomination deadline,although the party was assumed to back Zatlers for re-election.
Māris Kučinskis is a Latvian politician,who served as the prime minister of Latvia,from 2016 to 2019.
The Latgalian Christian Peasant and Catholic Party was a Christian centrist political party in Latvia during the inter-war period. It was the largest party in the Latgale region,and was led by the bishop Jāzeps Rancāns.
The New Farmers-Small Landowners Party was a political party in Latvia during the inter-war period. It had two wings;the Farmers wing led by Markuss Gailītis and the Landowners wing led by Ādolfs Bļodnieks.
4th Saeima was the parliament of Latvia from 3 November 1931 until the 15 May 1934 Latvian coup d'état. It was the last democratically elected Saeima until the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1991 and the 5th Saeima elections in 1993.
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 1 October 2022,following the end of the term of the 13th Saeima elected in 2018.
Livonia is one of the five multi-member constituencies of the Saeima,the national legislature of Latvia. The constituency was established in 1922 when the Saeima was established following Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. It consists of the city of Jūrmala and municipalities of Ādaži,Alūksne,Cēsis,Gulbene,Ķekava,Limbaži,Madona,Mārupe,Ogre,Olaine,Ropaži,Salaspils,Saulkrasti,Sigulda,Smiltene,Valka,Valmiera and Varakļāni in the region of Livonia. The constituency currently elects 26 of the 100 members of the Saeima using the open party-list proportional representation electoral system. At the 2022 parliamentary election it had 396,278 registered electors.
Juris Jakovins is a Latvian doctor and politician. He is currently a member of the 14th Saeima,representing the Latvian Farmers' Union and the Union of Greens and Farmers. Previously,he was a member of the Valmiera City Council (2013–2021) and Valmiera Municipality (2021–2022).
Andris Bērziņš is a Latvian philologist,public servant,and politician. He has served as a member of seven convocations of the Saeima,elected to the 14th Saeima. He represents the Latvian Farmers' Union and the Union of Greens and Farmers. Previously,he was involved with the New Party and Latvian Way,as well as the Latvian Farmers' Union. Since 1989,he has been the head of the Latvian Children's Fund.
