Latvian citizenship exam questions · 24 questions
Satversme: the Saeima, the President, the Cabinet
Satversme: Saeima, Valsts prezidents, Ministru kabinets
Who holds sovereign power, how and for how long the Saeima and the President are elected, who forms the government and when it must resign, who may submit bills, when a referendum is required, the Constitutional Court.
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1.Kam pieder Latvijas valsts suverēnā vara?
To whom does the sovereign power of the Latvian state belong?
Answer: Latvijas tautai.
To the people of Latvia.
Sovereignty identifies the ultimate foundation of state authority. Officials exercise entrusted powers rather than owning the state. Elections and legally provided referendums are ways for citizens to participate in exercising that power.
2.Kādas krāsas ir Latvijas valsts karogā?
What are the colors of the Latvian national flag?
Answer: Tumši sarkana (karmīnsarkana) ar baltu svītru vidū.
Dark red (carmine) with a white stripe in the middle.
Latvia's flag has two dark red bands and a narrower white one between them. This distinguishes it from Austria's equal-width bands. The arrangement of colours is a state symbol and does not change when the government or president changes.
Source and further reading: Valsts simboli · Latvijas Valsts prezidents
3.Kura ir valsts valoda Latvijā?
What is the official language of Latvia?
Answer: Latviešu valoda.
Latvian.
An official language has a defined role in state affairs. This does not mean every resident speaks only Latvian at home. A common state language provides a shared framework for official communication between institutions and residents.
4.Kam Latvijā pieder augstākā likumdošanas vara?
In whom is the highest legislative power in Latvia vested?
Answer: Saeimai (un tautai).
The Saeima (and the people).
Legislation means adopting general rules. It differs from government implementing them and courts resolving disputes. For example, the Saeima passes a law while a ministry organises its implementation in its area of responsibility.
5.Kā ievēlē Saeimu?
How is the Saeima elected?
Answer: Vispārīgās, vienlīdzīgās, tiešās, aizklātās un proporcionālās vēlēšanās.
By universal, equal, direct, secret, and proportional elections.
In proportional elections, seats reflect votes cast for party lists. A secret ballot protects voters' freedom of choice. Direct elections mean citizens vote for representatives themselves rather than choosing intermediaries to elect them later.
6.No cik gadu vecuma pilsoņi iegūst tiesības vēlēt Saeimu?
From what age do citizens have the right to vote in Saeima elections?
Answer: No 18 gadu vecuma.
From age 18.
Voting means choosing representatives. Standing as a candidate is different and has a higher age threshold for the Saeima. A young person can therefore help shape the country's political choices before becoming eligible to serve as a deputy.
7.No cik gadu vecuma pilsoņi var tikt ievēlēti Saeimā?
From what age can citizens be elected to the Saeima?
Answer: No 21 gada vecuma.
From age 21.
A candidate asks voters to entrust them with representation. Age is only one requirement; other election-law conditions also apply. This distinguishes the right to vote from the right to stand as a candidate.
8.Uz cik gadiem Latvijas pilsoņi ievēlē Saeimu?
For how many years do the citizens of Latvia elect the Saeima?
Answer: Uz 4 gadiem.
For 4 years.
A fixed term lets voters regularly assess their representatives. Governments can change between parliamentary elections. The term provides a predictable electoral cycle, while the Constitution also allows exceptional mechanisms for replacing parliament early.
9.Kas vada Saeimas sēdes?
Who chairs the sittings of the Saeima?
Answer: Saeimas priekšsēdētājs.
The Speaker of the Saeima.
The presiding officer organises debate and voting. The Speaker is distinct from the Prime Minister, who leads the government. During a sitting, the chair maintains parliamentary procedure so deputies can speak and reach decisions.
10.Kāds tiesību akts nosaka Saeimas iekšējo kārtību un darbību?
What legal act sets out the internal order and workings of the Saeima?
Answer: Saeimas kārtības rullis.
The Rules of Procedure of the Saeima.
Rules of Procedure govern daily parliamentary work: debate, proposals and voting. The Constitution establishes the state's basic structure. A common procedure makes the route from submitting a proposal to debating and deciding it predictable.
11.Kas ievēlē Valsts prezidentu?
Who elects the President of the state?
Answer: Saeima.
The Saeima.
Latvia has no direct presidential election. Citizens elect the Saeima, whose members elect the President by an open vote of at least 51 votes. Parliamentary election results therefore indirectly affect who can secure support for the presidency.
12.Uz cik gadiem tiek ievēlēts Valsts prezidents?
For how many years is the President of the state elected?
Answer: Uz 4 gadiem.
For 4 years.
A fixed presidential term prevents indefinite tenure. The President's and parliament's four-year terms do not mean their elections always coincide. The president's term differs from the government's duration, which also depends on parliamentary confidence.
13.Cik termiņus pēc kārtas viena un tā pati persona var būt Valsts prezidents?
How many consecutive terms may the same person serve as President?
Answer: Ne vairāk kā divus termiņus pēc kārtas.
No more than two consecutive terms.
The key word is consecutive. The limit prevents one person from holding the presidency continuously for more than eight years. Such a limit promotes rotation in office and prevents a state position from becoming indefinitely tied to one person.
14.Kādas ir Valsts prezidenta sešas pamatpilnvaras?
What are the six main powers of the President of the state?
Answer: Pārstāv valsti starptautiski; izsludina likumus; ir bruņoto spēku virspavēlnieks; izvirza Ministru prezidentu valdības veidošanai; ir tiesības apžēlot; var ierosināt Saeimas atlaišanu un sasaukt ārkārtas sēdes.
Representing the state; promulgating laws; serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces; nominating a Prime Minister to form the government; the right of pardon; and the power to initiate dissolution of the Saeima and to convene extraordinary sittings.
The President represents the state and provides institutional checks. The office does not run all ministries, and dissolving parliament requires a constitutional procedure rather than a unilateral order. Different decisions require other institutions' involvement, helping keep state power balanced.
15.Kam Latvijā pieder augstākā izpildvara?
In whom is the highest executive power in Latvia vested?
Answer: Ministru kabinetam (valdībai).
The Cabinet of Ministers (the government).
The executive organises practical implementation of laws. Ministries carry out education, transport or health policy within legal and budgetary limits. Think of the executive as the system that turns adopted rules into the practical work of government.
16.Kas izveido Ministru kabinetu (valdību)?
Who forms the Cabinet of Ministers (the government)?
Answer: Ministru prezidents, kuru aicina Valsts prezidents.
The Prime Minister, whom the President invites to form it.
The President invites a candidate to form a government, who assembles a ministerial team. Parliamentary confidence is required; the invitation alone is not enough. A coalition is an agreement among parties to support a government, not a separate state institution.
17.Kādos gadījumos Ministru kabinetam (valdībai) ir jāatkāpjas?
In what cases must the Cabinet of Ministers (the government) resign?
Answer: Ja Saeima izsaka tai neuzticību (vai pēc Saeimas vēlēšanām).
If the Saeima expresses a vote of no confidence in it (or after Saeima elections).
Government must retain parliament's confidence. If the Prime Minister loses it, the whole cabinet resigns; a vote against one minister is different. This is a mechanism of parliamentary accountability: ministers cannot govern while entirely ignoring the parliamentary majority.
18.Kādas ir Ministru kabineta (valdības) pamatpilnvaras?
What are the main powers of the Cabinet of Ministers (the government)?
Answer: Vada un koordinē valsts pārvaldi, izstrādā likumprojektus un budžetu, īsteno iekšpolitiku un ārpolitiku, izdod noteikumus.
It runs state administration, prepares bills and the budget, conducts domestic and foreign policy, and issues regulations.
Government develops policy and manages public administration. It cannot simply replace laws and budgets with its own wishes; parliament has a distinct role. Ministries divide responsibilities by sector, while the Cabinet coordinates their overall action.
19.Kas var iesniegt Saeimai likumprojektus?
Who may submit bills to the Saeima?
Answer: Valsts prezidents, Ministru kabinets, Saeimas komisijas, ne mazāk kā pieci deputāti, kā arī tauta (1/10 vēlētāju).
The President, the Cabinet of Ministers, Saeima committees, at least five members of parliament, and also the people (one-tenth of the electorate).
Introducing a bill does not automatically make it law. Parliament considers it, and voter initiatives follow specific conditions and procedures. Legislative initiatives can thus come from different sources but must then follow a defined scrutiny process.
20.Kuri likumi nevar tikt nodoti tautas nobalsošanai?
Which laws cannot be submitted to a national referendum?
Answer: Budžets, likumi par aizņēmumiem, nodokļiem, militāro dienestu, kara un miera jautājumiem un starptautiskie līgumi.
The budget and laws on loans, taxes, military service, matters of war and peace, and international treaties.
Not every issue may be decided by referendum. The Constitution reserves certain matters, including budgets and taxes, to representative institutions. These limits distinguish issues for direct democracy from decisions for which the Constitution sets a different procedure.
21.Kas apstiprina tiesnešus amatā?
Who confirms judges in office?
Answer: Saeima.
The Saeima.
Appointment does not confer a right to direct a judge in a particular case. Judicial independence requires decisions based on law, not political wishes. For example, a deputy's dissatisfaction with a judgment does not entitle them to demand a different ruling.
22.Kādos gadījumos nepieciešama tautas nobalsošana?
In what cases is a national referendum required?
Answer: Piemēram, grozot Satversmes pamatpantus, ja prezidents aptur likumu vai to pieprasa noteikta daļa vēlētāju.
For example, when amending the fundamental principles of the Constitution, if the President suspends a law, or if a portion of the electorate demands it.
A referendum is a direct vote on a particular issue. Specific conditions must be met; a presidential suspension of a law does not always automatically trigger one. It is therefore important to distinguish launching an initiative, gathering the required support and the vote itself.
23.Kas apstiprina Latvijas valsts budžetu?
Who approves Latvia's state budget?
Answer: Saeima.
The Saeima.
A budget plans state revenue and spending. Government prepares it and parliament approves it; preparation and adoption are different tasks. Allocations to schools, roads or healthcare show the state's practical priorities.
24.Kam ir tiesības atzīt likumus un citus normatīvos aktus par spēkā neesošiem?
Who has the authority to declare laws and other legal acts invalid?
Answer: Satversmes tiesai.
The Constitutional Court.
The Constitutional Court reviews legal norms against higher-ranking law. It is not an ordinary appeal court for every dispute or unwelcome judgment. The court assesses legal compatibility, not simply whether a law is popular.