On Tuesday, 21 April, the Saeima will host a conference “Ethics in Contemporary Parliamentarism”, were lawmakers, academics, civil society representatives, as well as foreign experts will discuss the ethical challenges faced by the members of parliaments in contemporary democracy, focusing in particular on the Baltic experience. The conference is organised by the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee.
The aim of the discussion is to promote awareness of the importance of ethics in the work of the parliament and to strengthen public trust in democratic institutions. “Ethics for members of parliaments is not merely a collection of formal regulations—it has a direct impact on public trust in the parliament. Open, responsible, and respectful dialogue is the basis of democracy, and we wish to discuss the balance between these three elements,” underlined Jānis Vucāns, Chair of the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee.
The conference will be opened by Antoņina Ņenaševa, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima. Opening addresses will also be given by Gunārs Kusiņš, representative of the Working group for developing the Code of Ethics for Members of the Saeima, and Jānis Vucāns, Chair of the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee.
In the first part of the event, Vija Sīle, Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Riga Stradiņš University, will present an introductory report on the issues of ethics in contemporary parliamentarism, whereas Dāvids Meijers, President of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), will focus on the importance of ethics and the challenges in Latvia’s public administration.
The second part of the conference will include several lectures on the solutions concerning the ethics of Baltic members of parliaments, including on balancing freedom of expression with responsibility and protection of others from infringement, the ethical standards of MPs communicating via social networks, and the penalties applicable for ethics violations and the effectiveness thereof. Experiences will be shared by Lilija Vaitiekūnienė, Deputy Chair of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures of the Lithuanian Seimas; Margit Sutrop, Member of the Estonian Riigikogu; and Jānis Vucāns, Chair of the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee.
Finally, a discussion will be held on the potential improvements in ethics regulations in the parliaments of the Baltic States. Lectures and discussions will be moderated by Professor Vija Sīle. The conference will be attended by parliamentarians and representatives of public administration, civil society, and higher education institutions.
The event will take place on Tuesday, 21 April, at the Baltic Hall of Saeima, Jēkaba iela 6/8, and will begin at 14:00. It will also be broadcast on the Saeima website www.saeima.lv, as well as on the Saeima Facebook and Youtube accounts.
For media consideration:
Media representatives who do not have permanent accreditation for work in the Saeima are kindly requested to apply in a timely manner by e-mail – prese@saeima.lv or by telephone: +371 67087244.
Saeima Press Service