As the 14th Saeima gathered on Thursday, 29. oktobrī, for its final plenary session, the tone was not celebratory or formal. Daiga Mieriņa (Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība) opened the day with an address, and lawmakers proceeded to adopt a series of legal amendments and other decisions. Two-thirds of the current parliamentary assembly will not return for the 15th Saeima, marking a turnover that reflects voters’ verdicts on the legislature’s term.
Defense Priorities and Financial Expansion
National security dominated the 14th Saeima’s legislative footprint following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers drove the defense budget to an unprecedented 4,91 % of gross domestic product this year, totaling over 2,1 miljardu eiro, with projections to hit 5 % next year. In 2023. gada aprīlī, Parliament passed the law establishing the State Defense Service, seeing its first conscript intake arrive that same summer despite sharp public debates over mandatory service and the inclusion of women.
Parallel to conscription, the legislature continued the fortification of the eastern border and greenlit the joint Baltic Defense Line alongside regional neighbors, with construction breaking ground this autumn. State support for Ukraine remained a priority throughout the mandate.
Social Policy Gains and Parliamentary Finances
Lawmakers adopted several decisions and amended laws in the social sphere. For example, the tax-free minimum for pensions was raised to 1000 eiro, with the option to split it into two parts—500 eiro for salary and pension—if a senior remains employed. Pensijas tagad katru gadu tiek indeksētas pilnā apjomā. Būtiski pieaudzis ir arī pabalsts par bērna piedzinšanu – par teju 200 eiro, līdz 600 eiro.
Discontent also shadowed internal parliamentary privileges. Departing lawmakers are entitled to a severance package worth three months’ salary for those not re-elected, which applies to two-thirds of the current Saeima representatives. This payout totals roughly 13 tūkstoši eiro before taxes for a standard deputy and scales past 20 tūkstoši eiro for those who held a position—figures that drew criticism compared to the single-month payout designated for departing parliamentary staffers. Rupji rēķinot, valsts nodokļu maksātāji šķirsies no teju miljona eiro.
Contested Reforms in Health, Education, and Media
Structural overhauls in healthcare and education were implemented insufficiently. Political scientist Iveta Kažoka criticized the legislature’s oversight in these vital areas. Kažoka told Latvijas Radio that responsible ministries lacked adequate supervision and pressure from the Saeima to deliver tangible results rather than internal procedural paperwork. Atmiņā noteikti paliks šī Saeimas sasaukuma parlamentārās izmeklēšanas komisijas, it sevišķi par “Rail Baltica”, kas uzstādīja jaunu latiņu tam, kā principā izmeklēšanas komisijas var tikt organizētas,
Kažoka vērtēja.
Public media governance also underwent contested shifts. Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Electronic Public Media and Their Management, which legally barred the merger of LTV and Latvian Radio newsrooms and established an obligation to preserve the media’s historical brands.
Unfinished Business Handed to the Next Parliament
The closing sessions laid bare several high-profile deadlocks. Amendments to the Citizenship Law, which could affect approximately 2500 Latvian-Russian dual citizens who have faced difficulties renouncing Russian citizenship, will be left to the next parliamentary convocation. Because deputies submitted many additional proposals, an agreement was not reached before the 14th Saeima’s powers ended.
Legislators also considered amendments to the State Audit Office Act to grant auditors the right to check parliamentary financial statements, though the text does not provide for the possibility of evaluating the utility of legislative spending. Arvils Ašeradens expressed the view Valsts kontrolei, manā ieskatā, ir jābūt pilnam mandātam revidēt un dot savu atzinumu.
Other late-hour measures included debates over the controversial Architecture Law, designed to trim bureaucratic hurdles in construction, and proposals for SIM card registration to combat phone scams that have drained over 16 miljonus eiro from Latvian residents this year.
