Politics & Government Guide
Political system, governance structure, stability indicators, and democratic institutions in Latvia
Latvia is a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral 100-seat parliament (Saeima) and a president as head of state. Prime Minister Evika Siliņa leads a three-party coalition government focused on security, defense spending, and economic development. The country performs in the high range across democratic indicators and maintains stable governance with improved coalition stability over the past 13 years.
Democracy Index
Good
Government Type
Parliamentary democracy
Legal System
Civil law system based on the Constitution of August 21, 1991
Head of State
President Edgars Rinkevics(since 2023)
Head of Government
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa(New Unity)since 2023
Political Indicators
Democracy Index
Scale: 0-10
High performing democracy
International IDEA (2024)
Legislature
Major Political Parties
Center-right
Centrist
Left-wing
Regionalist
Right-wing
Voting Rights
All citizens aged 18 and above have the right to vote in parliamentary elections. EU citizens can vote in local and European elections. Representatives are elected for a 4-year mandate through direct universal suffrage by proportional representation with a 5% threshold.
Recent Developments
- 2026 state budget approved with focus on security, defense spending, and family support, including streamlining public administration expenditure by over €800 million over three years
- Electoral platform incident in 2025 led to suspension of State Digital Development Agency Director and resignation of Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development, raising concerns ahead of 2026 parliamentary elections
- Coalition government of New Unity, Progressives, and Union of Greens and Farmers formed in September 2023 with primary focus on external and internal security and defense capabilities
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