President Levits pointed out that the reason for inviting political parties elected to the Saeima for a discussion is to come together and identify joint activities for implementation of national strategies and long-term plans; reconcile opposition and ruling party opinions through structured dialogue and thus benefit the whole society. According to the President, better law-making based on joint long-term vision is crucial.
President Levits outlined several key areas of closer cooperation between Saeima and the President of Latvia. As he had highlighted numerous times before, President underlined the strong significance of quality of information space and stable public broadcasting in ensuring national security and properly functioning democracy. President raised the issue of bringing public funding for political parties to the level of other Baltic countries. It would bring greater accountability and transparency in party activities, which would lead to more balanced decisions on different topics and less influence of private donors. President Levits invited leaders of political groups to a joint workshop to discuss the plans for proposed National Council.
During the meeting, representatives of political groups proposed to use the common dialogue to agree also on regulatory framework for digital ecosystem and its governance. President Levits emphasised Latvia’s global potential for opening new perspectives on regulatory framework for digital sector, because it is a global concern with very few effective solutions. President also mentioned that this is one of the themes of UN General Assembly, which he will attend next week.
President Levits indicated that he and his staff are keen to contribute to a debate on changes in the Saeima Rules of Procedure and would also like to be involved in debating demographic initiatives and taxpayer rights. President also shared his positive impressions about recent discussion with youth members of various political parties from all over Latvia about youth participation in democratic and political processes. He urged political parties to involve and listen more to young people.
All leaders of Saeima political groups praised President Levits’ decision to deepen and enhance dialogue with the parliament. They also thanked president for his efforts in promoting democracy and growth of Latvia.
