Edgars Rinkevics, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, won the presidential elections in Latvia

Edgar Rinkevich, who previously held the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, became the new president of Latvia – he received 52 votes in favor and 35 against.

The head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry since 2011 commented on his victory, quotes delphi:

“It is a great honor for me to be elected President of the Republic of Latvia, and I will do my best to serve the people of Latvia well. I thank the deputies for their trust.”

The President in Latvia is elected by the Seimas (Parliament). The presidential race was attended by businessman Uldis Pilens from the Joint List coalition, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich from the New Unity coalition and an activist of the Latvian diaspora in Europe Elina Pinto.

According to the established rules, 100 deputies of the Seimas had to vote “for” and “against” each candidate. To become president, you need to get at least 51 “yes” votes. In the first two rounds, no candidate received more than 51 votes. In the third round, Elina Pinto dropped out of the race, having received the least support. In the final round, Pilens received 25 votes in favor and 65 votes against, while Rinkevich received 52 votes in favor and 35 against.

Rinkevich actively opposes the war in Ukraine and for tough sanctions against the Russian Federation, while supporting Russian political emigrants who have consistently opposed the regime.

In 2014, Rinkevics came out, becoming the first politician in Latvian history, and now the first president in the world, to openly admit his affiliation to the LGBT community.

Latvia is a parliamentary, not a presidential republic, so the role of the head of state is performed by the prime minister. The president, on the other hand, has powers in the field of legislation: without his signature, laws do not enter into force, he can return the bill for reconsideration to parliament, has the authority to convene extraordinary government meetings and initiate meetings of the Seimas. He can also dissolve parliament.

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