At the meeting of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (hereinafter – the Assembly), held in Riga on 15–16 May, particular attention was devoted to developments in Hungary and Georgia. The Chair of the Monitoring Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, described the situation in several Council of Europe member states as cause for serious concern.

On Friday, 16 May, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and Chair of the Saeima Group for Promoting Cooperation with the German Parliament, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, hosted Manuela Schwesig, Minister-President of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at the Latvian Parliament.

To increase the current limits for farmers on the use of marked diesel fuel, the Saeima on Thursday, 15 May, adopted amendments to the Law on Excise Duty in the final reading under urgent procedure.

On Thursday, 15 May, the Saeima confirmed Aigars Strupišs as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, 15 May, as part of the Monitoring Committee session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (hereinafter – the Assembly) held in Riga, a public international seminar titled “Resilience and Preparedness of Civil Society in the face of Crises” took place. Opening the event, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and Chair of the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, underlined the vital role that civil society plays both in times of crisis and in their prevention.

Today, 15 May, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) begins its work in Riga under the chairmanship of Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima. As part of the session, the President of the Assembly, Theodoros Rousopoulos, is visiting Latvia.

“In today’s world, democracy and human rights must be at the top of the agenda. Democracy must be defended every day—and continuously invested in,” emphasised Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa on Thursday, 15 May, during a meeting at the Saeima with Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

“The brutal aggressor has been waging war in Ukraine for more than three years. Russia is our shared long-term threat. Its behaviour has remained unchanged for centuries. We must strengthen our defence capabilities, develop our military industry, and reinforce the resilience of our societies,” stated Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa on Monday, 12 May, addressing participants at the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments in Budapest, Hungary.

On Saturday, 10 May, in a spring clean-up marking the 35th anniversary of the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence, members of the Saeima Presidium, Saeima members, and staff worked to tidy the grounds of the Čakste family home “Auči”.

“By standing up for democratic processes, we are working not only for Europe, but for the entire world. These values must be upheld with conviction. We remain as committed as ever to supporting you and defending democratic principles in Belarus,” said Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa on Friday, 9 May, during a meeting at the Saeima with the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.