On Thursday, 14 June, the Saeima in the third and final reading adopted the Draft Law on the Amendments to the Law on State Pensions, stipulating a gradual increase of the retirement age.

On Thursday, 14 June, the Saeima elected Inese Lībiņa-Egnere (Zatlers’ Reform Party) to the position of Deputy Speaker of the Saeima.

The Constitution (Satversme) reflects the fundamental values and objectives of our state and society, as well as the idea and meaning behind the founding and existence of the state of Latvia, which is the existence through centuries of the Latvian nation, language and culture. Over the years the Constitution has truly become a symbol of our nation’s pursuit of independence and its desire to live in a free, democratic and lawful state. It has been a strong guarantee not to lose ourselves in the tides of time and history. This was emphasised by Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Wednesday, 13 June, at the opening of the 90th anniversary edition of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. This edition contains the text of the Constitution in several languages, as well as historical information and important publications pertaining to the fundamental law of the state.

“The small and medium European Union (EU) member states have to cooperate more actively to succeed in representing their interests in the EU decision-making process,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima on Monday, 11 June, during her meeting with Barbara Prammer, President of the Austrian National Council, upon whose invitation from 10 to 12 June Solvita Āboltiņa is officially visiting Vienna, Austria.

On Wednesday, 6 June, during her meeting with Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of the Republic of Estonia, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, emphasised the necessity to generate more practical benefits from the excellent bilateral relations between Latvia and Estonia by implementing mutually important joint projects in the areas of education, health-care and information technology.

On Monday, 4 May, when Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, met with Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, she said that Latvia holds in high esteem democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and regards it as an obligation to share its experience in achieving democratic reforms with European countries in which this process has just begun.

On Thursday, 31 May, in her address to participants of the 16th High Council meeting of the Foreign Investors’ Council in Latvia, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, stressed that “Latvia will once again become a stable and predictable place for business and investment, a place where people can live in security, stability and prosperity”.