1. Local self-government in Latvia

2. Latvijas Republika  Area : 64589 km²  Population: 2 310 000 inhabitants  Density: 35.7 inhabitants/km²  Capital-city: Riga

3. Territorial organization A Unitary state divided into  4 provinces: - Vizdeme - Vizdeme - Zemgale - Zemgale - Kurzeme - Kurzeme - Latgale - Latgale  2 types of local authorities: - 530 communes (pasvaldiba) - 530 communes (pasvaldiba) - 26 districts (rajons) - 26 districts (rajons)

4. Institutional organization: national, regional and local levels nationallevel  unicameral parliament (‘Saeima’, legislative power)  President of the Republic  Government (executive power) = Prime Minister, vice-Prime Ministers, ministers  State Audit Committee  Constitutional Court (judicial power),  three-levelled judicial system, judges are appointed by Parliament regionallevel  26 districts (‘rajons’) with a district council, a council president.  Ministry for Regional Development and Local Authorities,  State audit committee  7 urban areas local level  530 municipalities : - 7 agglomerations (‘Republikas pilseta’) - 7 agglomerations (‘Republikas pilseta’) - 53 cities (‘pilseta’) - 53 cities (‘pilseta’) - 444 parishes (‘pagasts’) - 444 parishes (‘pagasts’) - 26 areas (‘novads’) - 26 areas (‘novads’)  Ministry for regional development and local authorities, State audit committee

5. Decentralization process  1994 Act on local authorities  Completed by: - 1995 and 1998 Acts on financial equalisation - 1995 and 1998 Acts on financial equalisation - 2001 Act on delegation of public services - 2001 Act on delegation of public services - 2002 Act on local budgets - 2002 Act on local budgets  1998 Reform Act on territorial division  Regionalization is still being discussed

6. Local Government in Latvia 1.Local government system 1.1. Local government law 1.1. Local government law 1.2. Local government organisation 1.2. Local government organisation 2. Local policies 2. 1. Responsibilities 2. 1. Responsibilities 2. 2. Means 2. 2. Means

7. 1. 1. Local Government Law  Constitution of the Republic of Latvia: 1922 (articles 25 and 101)  1994 Act on Local Government  European Charter of Local Self-Government (1985)  Local authorities regulate by decrees

8. 1. 2. Local Government Organisation 1. 2. 1. How local representatives are designated 1. 2. 2. Their duties 1. 2. 3. Their status 1. 2. 4. How they are controlled

9. 1. 2. 1. How local representatives are elected or appointed ? Councillors - Municipal council: Direct universal suffrage, proportional list system - District council: Indirect suffrage (presidents of the municipal councils) Council president and vice-president Elected at a majority-vote, within the council Chief-Executive - Municipal council: appointed at a majority-vote by the council, after the council president proposes names - District council: No specific body, president and vice- president are in charge of the executive power

10. 1. 2. 2. Local representatives’ duties Council members - to attend the Council and the committees meetings - to control that the council’s decisions are enacted - to assess citizens’ complaints and requests (within one month) Council president - manages the work of the deliberative body - coordinates the agenda of the commissions - is the link between central government and local authorities - represents the council before courts Chief of the executive - controls that the council’s rules and decisions are enacted - heads the managers of the local authority’s departments - makes recommendations to the council regarding illegal or unnecessary decisions that may be taken by the local authority's organs

11. 1. 2. 3. Local representatives’ status  Eligibility requirements  Loss of rights  Incompatibility  Accumulation of mandates

12. 1. 2. 4. Controlling local representatives 2 types of control:  Legal control by the Minister for Regional Development and Local Authorities  stated by:  Financial control stated by: - 1994 Act on local authorities - 1994 Act on local authorities - 1998 Act on local and regional financial stability - 1998 Act on local and regional financial stability

13. 2. Local public policies 2. 1. Local government responsibilities 2. 2. Local government means

14. 2. 1. Local authorities’ responsabilities SkillsCommunesDistricts Civil status Law and order Urbanism Water and wastewater Household waste Energy distribution Transport Road network Green spaces Housing Health Social services Education Culture Sport and leisure Economic development

15. 2. 2. Local authorities’ means 2. 2. 1. Human resources 2. 2. 2. Financial resources

16. 2. 2. 1. Human Resources  Local and Regional Government Act : Only the council decides upon its structure, staff and salaries  The national civil service status is not for local and regional government staff, only for central government staff.  Local government staff are usually contacted out (under public law contracts)

17. 2. 2. 2. Financial resources 2. 2. 2. 1. Local revenues 2. 2. 2. 2. Local expenditure

18. 2. 2. 2. 1. Local revenues  Own fiscal revenues  Devolved fiscal revenues  General and specific subsidies  Local loan

19. 2. 2. 2. 2. Local expenditure  In 2007, local expenditure accounted for 1300 million Euros = 562 Euros per citizen  In 2002, the largest portion of local expenditure was dedicated to education  Today, the largest portion is for law and order (533 millions Euros) and health (310 millions Euros) Financial index Local public expenditure / GDP 9.5% Local public expenditure / Total public expenditure 26.5% Public capital spending / GDP 0.8% Public capital spending / Total capital spending 8.8%