“Those who say that Latvia has no future should come and see the way the Youth Parliament works. You are the future of Latvia. I am convinced that Latvia’s future will be in good hands – in the hands of young, patriotic, smart, educated, willing and capable people,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, in addressing the young people at the closing of the event.
Press releases
Honourable President of Latvia, Honourable Prime Minister,Honourable members of the Saeima,Ministers,Excellencies,Ladies and gentlemen,
On Friday, 27 April, the Education, Culture and Science Committee of the Youth Parliament elaborated a declaration on “Participation of children and youths in shaping a modern educational system”, which states that there is a need to balance theoretical and practical components of school curricula so that they aid students in making the right career choice. Ina Druviete, Chairperson of the Education, Culture and Science Committee of the Saeima, stressed the significant role of education in one’s social and personal life and pointed out the need for continuous evolution of the education system.
On Friday, 27 April, the members of the 2nd Youth Parliament, guided by Ojārs Kalniņš, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, created a group for interparliamentary relations with the USA in order to promote interest among youths about collaboration opportunities with the United States of America (USA). Next week the members of the group will visit the U.S. embassy to meet the U.S. Ambassador in person.
Youth Parliament will convene on Friday (25.04.2012.)
On Friday, 27 April, one hundred young people will gather at the Saeima in order to learn about the everyday work of the legislature through personal experience and defend their ideas from the rostrum.
Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica: EU Cohesion funding has a crucial role in Latvia’s economic growth (24.04.2012.)
On Monday, 23 April, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee, participated in the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs held in Copenhagen, where she emphasised that growth of Latvia’s economy is directly linked to the ability of the Baltic region and the EU in general to form balanced national budgets. It is equally essential to assume joint ownership and funding of regional projects, especially transport and energy infrastructure projects, and to ensure equal competition for Latvian entrepreneurs, farmers and scientists in the common EU market.
“Latvia believes that allowing it as a trustworthy EU member state which has implemented wide-scale reforms to join the euro area when in complies with the Maastricht criteria will increase the trustworthiness of the euro,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on 21 April at the Conference of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the European Union when discussing the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union and its implications for the European Union parliaments.
Saeima ratifies amendments to EU treaty (20.04.2012.)
On Thursday, 19 April, the Saeima supported in the final reading the draft law whereby Latvia is to ratify amendments to Article 136 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (EU), or the so-called Lisbon Treaty. The amendments establish the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) for the purpose of ensuring financial stability of the euro area.
On Wednesday, 18 April, the Social and Employment Matters Committee of the Saeima accepted amendments to the Law on State Pensions submitted by the government envisaging an increase in the retirement age as of 2014 and forwarded them for the consideration in the first reading by the Saeima. Six members of the Committee supported the relevant Draft Law, three voted against and two abstained.
Kalniņa-Lukaševica: Latvia’s chances to receive more financing from the next EU budget are increasing (16.04.2012.)
Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, when asked to evaluate the work of her Committee during the parliament’s winter session, pointed out that as Latvia’s position is actively explained, our chances to receive more financing within the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU are increasing. Kalniņa-Lukaševica emphasised that cooperation among the three Baltic States, to which the Committee pays serious attention, will be a decisive factor in the continued negotiation process.