Newly elected lawmakers in Latvia’s 15th Saeima are filling parliamentary aide positions with defeated candidates, political activists, and relatives of legislative colleagues, tv3.lv reported.
Voter turnout dropped to 51.79% in the recent parliamentary election, according to LSM. Out of 806,641 voters who cast ballots, nearly half of the elected parliamentarians are newcomers taking office for the first time.
Deputatas palīga amats ir politisks, and each lawmaker may hire up to two assistants who handle correspondence, schedule meetings, and organize paperwork, sharing a monthly salary of 1,797 euros, Apollo.lv reported. Lawmakers are prohibited from hiring their own spouses or close relatives, but existing regulations do not prevent them from employing the family members of political colleagues.
The staffing choices include individuals linked to pro-Kremlin figures and Russian-language advocacy, according to Apollo.lv. Deputy Andrejs Pagors hired Ludmila Ušakova, a former activist with the Latvian Russian Union who campaigned to preserve Russian-language education in schools, while parliamentarian Natālija Ābola selected Ludmila Pribiļska as an assistant.
Parties differ sharply in how they recruit and vet parliamentary staff, Apollo.lv reported. “Progresīvie” uses a centralized process where the faction compiles a candidate list and limits each deputy to a single assistant, according to TVNET. In contrast, other political groups allow individual lawmakers to make independent hiring decisions.
Latvija Pirmajā vietā politicians have already selected most of their staff, Apollo.lv reported. Dana Šlesere confirmed that her husband, unseated politician Ričards Šlesers, will likely work as a parliamentary assistant to help advance pending draft legislation, while their son accepted a staff position with deputy Andreja Klementjevs.
Parliamentary business faces delays due to ongoing government formation talks and unresolved decisions regarding committee structures, Dzentlmenis.lv reported. Lawmakers receive their salaries, but the legislature has not yet established the committees required to review bills and oversee ministries.
The United List leads the new parliament with 41 seats, followed by Latvia First with 17 mandates, Sovereign Power/New Latvians with 15, National Alliance and Progressives with 10 each, and New Unity with 7 seats, LSM reported. Government formation talks also complicate agreement on committee leadership.