Latvia Blocks Unvaccinated Lawmakers From Voting
The Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. (Flickr)
Latvia’s parliament passed a law on November 12 preventing lawmakers who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 from voting on legislation or receiving monthly pay. The measure, “On Temporary Additional Requirements for the Work of Saeima [Parliament] Deputies and Local Government Council Deputies,” was supported by 62 of the 100 members of parliament. The law requires all lawmakers to produce either proof of vaccination or of recovery from COVID-19 before weighing in on lawmaking decisions.
Lawmakers who have received clinical opinions to postpone vaccination and those who present negative COVID-19 tests are eligible to participate in normal proceedings.
“The payment of a monthly salary and compensation will be suspended for a Saeima deputy who will not be entitled to participate in the work of the parliament. It will be renewed from the day when the deputy has presented a certificate to the Mandate, Ethics and Submission Commission of the Saeima,” reads a publication from the Saeima Press Service.
The new policy, which took effect on November 15 will remain in effect until mid-2022, and it will continue to be reassessed at least every two months by the Presidium of the Saeima. The new measure will affect nine members of Parliament who have continued to refuse vaccination, as well as members of local government councils.
According to the Saeima, “The law is necessary to promote public confidence in the country’s COVID-19 infection control policy, institutions, including the Saeima.”
Juris Rancāns, the Chairman of the Defense Commission and a sponsor of the legislation, announced that opponents to the restrictions could challenge them in the Constitutional Court. Ludmila Ryazanova, a deputy of the Liepāja City Council, is among those considering challenging the new law, as her failure to comply with the vaccine requirement has taken away her legislative powers.
"As soon as I get acquainted with the law adopted by the parliament, I will consider applying to the Constitutional Court," stated Ryanazova, who believes that the new law is overly restrictive.
Latvia has recently implemented several other restrictions on the unvaccinated population. Following a parliamentary vote on November 4, workers now risk being laid off without pay if they refuse to get the vaccine. The country has also banned unvaccinated people from using public ATMs.
Similar laws are being put into place across the EU. In Germany, unvaccinated people cannot use public transport; in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, they cannot visit hotels, pubs, or hairdressers; in Austria, the unvaccinated cannot even leave their homes for reasons other than work, groceries, or other emergencies.