On 12 September, President of Latvia, Egils Levits, met with the Presidium of the Saeima to discuss the progress with the adoption of the budget of the Republic of Latvia and share his thoughts on the establishment of the national council. Meeting the Saeima Presidium is a new tradition established by President Levits.
During the meeting, President of Latvia thanked the Saeima Presidium for the opportunity to discuss the latest developments in the adoption of the budget, parliamentary work and sustainability of Latvia. “We have a strong parliament. However, as I mentioned in my address at the first sitting of the Saeima autumn session on 5 September, the law-making process of the parliament needs to be enhanced and strengthened to ensure that people of Latvia are benefitting from good laws and greater focus on sustainability. Establishment of an independent national council would facilitate the legislative efforts of the government and the Saeima, and lead to adoption of laws that are not unconstitutional and promote sustainable development of Latvia,” said the President.
President and Presidium members discussed international approaches to the establishment of national councils, their structure and functions. In order to find the most suitable format for the Republic of Latvia, both sides agreed to revisit the subject after the adoption of the 2020 consolidated budget.
Meeting also focused on the recent meeting between the President of Latvia, Speaker of the Saeima and senior Polish officials. It was noted that Poland has been crucial in regaining Latvia’s freedom in 1920, forming of collective memory and heritage, the immense role in the strengthening of regional security and vital input in promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation between Latvia and Poland.
Speaker Mūrniece acknowledged President’s efforts in reaching out to various stakeholders to learn about current opinions on wide range of topics, from media policy to progress with regional reform.
At the end of the meeting, President Levits expressed hope that such meetings between a President and the Presidium would become a tradition, which would consolidate the constituent power of the Republic of Latvia around the national processes. “Constituent power consists of six institutions: President, Cabinet of Ministers, Saeima, State Audit Office, Supreme Court and Constitutional Court. All these institutions should work together to prevent a constitutional crisis. President plays a vital role in this framework, and I will deliver,” stressed the President.
Speaker of the Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece, endorsed such dialogue format and urged to include other institutions of the constituent power. Speaker underlined that such step would bolster cooperation between the institutions and the role of parliamentary system in strengthening Latvia’s statehood.
