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.
Latvian Way was a conservative-liberal political party in Latvia. It merged with Latvia's First Party to form the Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way (LPP/LC) in 2007.
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.
Artis Pabriks is a Latvian politician. Since January 2019 he has been the Minister for Defence and Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia. From 2014 to 2018,he was a Member of the European Parliament.
Aigars Kalvītis is a Latvian businessman and a former politician who was the Prime Minister of Latvia from 2004 to 2007. Currently he is the president of Latvian Ice Hockey Federation and the Chairman of the Board of Latvian gas company Latvijas Gāze. He is the Chairman of the Council of Latvian telecommunications company Tet.
Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis is a Latvian politician. He is a member of the centre-right Unity party.
Roberts Zīle is a Latvian economist and politician and Vice President of the European Parliament for the National Alliance,a free market national conservative right-wing populist political party in Latvia. In the seventh term of the European Parliament,he works in the European Conservatives and Reformists group;he is a member of European Conservatives and Reformists Group Executive and a member of the group Bureau. He was formerly vice-president of the now defunct Union for a Europe of Nations group.
Valdis Dombrovskis is a Latvian politician serving as Executive Vice President of the European Commission for An Economy that Works for People since 2019 and European Commissioner for Trade since 2020. He previously served as European Commissioner for Financial Stability,Financial Services and Capital Markets Union from 2016 to 2020 and Prime Minister of Latvia from 2009 to 2014.
Māris Gailis is a Latvian businessman and former politician. He is the former prime minister of Latvia,an office he held from September 1994 to December 1995. In the government of the Prime Minister Valdis Birkavs,Gailis became a Minister of State Reform;in the government of the Prime Minister Andris Šķēle,he was the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. As a member of the right-wing liberal political party Latvian Way,he was elected in the 5th Saeima and 6th Saeima. He led a round-the-globe expedition on the yacht Milda from 2001 to 2003.
Ivars Godmanis is a Latvian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Latvia from 1990 to 1993 and again from 2007 to 2009. He was the first Prime Minister of Latvia after the country restored its independence from the Soviet Union.
The president of Latvia is head of state and commander-in-chief of the National Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia.
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 2 October 2010. It was the first parliamentary election to be held in Latvia since the beginning of the economic crisis during which Latvia had experienced one of the deepest recessions in the world.
Viesturs Koziols is a Latvian real estate developer,media and sports entrepreneur,photographer,patron of arts,political and public figure.
Māris Riekstiņš is a Latvian politician and diplomat and a former Foreign Minister of Latvia. He is the former Ambassador of Latvia to the Russian Federation. Currently serves as Permanent Representative of Latvia to NATO.
Māris Kučinskis is a Latvian politician,who served as the prime minister of Latvia,from 2016 to 2019.
Early parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 17 September 2011,following the country's first parliamentary dissolution referendum held on 23 July 2011. The previous parliamentary election was only held in October 2010.
The Birkavs cabinet was the government of Latvia from 3 August 1993 to 19 September 1994. It was led by Prime Minister Valdis Birkavs. It took office on 3 August 1993,after the July 1993 election. It was replaced by the Krištopans cabinet on 26 November 1998,after the October 1998 election.
Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) is a regional co-operation format that includes Denmark,Estonia,Finland,Iceland,Latvia,Lithuania,Norway,and Sweden. Under NB8,regular meetings are held of the Baltic and Nordic countries' Prime Ministers,Speakers of Parliaments,Foreign Ministers,branch ministers,Secretaries of State and political directors of Foreign Ministries,as well as expert consultations where regional issues and current international topics are reviewed.
Gunārs Meierovics was a Latvian politician and the youngest son of the second Prime Minister of Latvia Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics. Meierovics was also a candidate for the 1993 Latvian presidential election.
