Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia | |
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![]() Flag of the Prime Minister of Latvia | |
Member of | |
Appointer | President of Latvia |
Term length | General elections to the Saeima are held every four years at most. No term limits are imposed on the office. |
Inaugural holder | K?rlis Ulmanis |
Formation | 19 November 1918 |
Salary | ~ EUR53,601 annually[1] |
The prime minister of Latvia (Latvian: Ministru prezidents) is the most powerful member of the Government of Latvia, and presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers. The prime minister is nominated by the president of Latvia, but must be able to obtain the support of a majority of the Saeima (parliament).
The tables below display all Latvian prime ministers from both the first period of Latvian independence (1918-1940) and since the country regained its independence (1990-present). From 1990 to 6 July 1993, the office was known as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, but is generally considered to have been the same role.
A direct translation of the official Latvian term is Minister-President. Although the equivalent is used in some European languages, it is not used conventionally in English.
Political Party:
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth-Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Saeima | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took Office | Left Office | Days | |||||||
1 (1 of 4)[1] |
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K?rlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) Prime Minister of the Provisional Government 1st Prime Minister |
18 November 1918 | 13 July 1919 | 944 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
I | LZS - LNP - DC - DS | PC |
14 July 1919 | 8 December 1919 | II | LZS - L?NP DC joined later |
PC ( ···· ) | |||||
9 December 1919 | 11 June 1920 | III | LZS - L?NP DS joined later |
PC ( ···· ) | |||||
12 June 1920 | 18 June 1921 | IV | LZS - DS - LDP DS exited later |
CA (1920) | |||||
2 (1 of 2) |
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Zigfr?ds Anna Meierovics (1887-1925) 2nd Prime Minister |
19 June 1921 | 26 January 1923 | 587 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
I | LZS - DC - MP - LTP LTP exited later |
CA ( ···· ) |
3 | - | J?nis Pau?uks (1865-1937) 3rd Prime Minister |
27 January 1923 | 27 June 1923 | 152 | Independent | I | LZS - LSPDS - DC - LJS - MP | 1 (1922) |
2 (2 of 2) |
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Zigfr?ds Anna Meierovics (1887-1925) |
28 June 1923 | 26 January 1924 | 213 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
II | LZS - LSPDS - DC - LJS - MP | 1 ( ···· ) |
4 | ![]() |
Voldem?rs Z?mu?ls (1872-1948) 4th Prime Minister |
27 January 1924 | 18 December 1924 | 327 | Independent | I | BNC - DC - LJS | 1 ( ···· ) |
5 (1 of 2) |
- | Hugo Celmi (1877-1941) 5th Prime Minister |
19 December 1924 | 23 December 1925 | 370 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
I | LZS - DC MP and LJS joined later |
1 ( ···· ) |
1 (2 of 4) |
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K?rlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) |
24 December 1925 | 6 May 1926 | 134 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
V | LZS - LJSP - LJS - LZP NA joined later |
2 (1925) |
6 | - | Arturs Alberings (1877-1934) 6th Prime Minister |
7 May 1926 | 18 December 1926 | 226 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
I | LZS - DC - LJSP - LJS - LZP | 2 ( ···· ) |
7 (1 of 2) |
- | Mar?ers Skujenieks (1886-1941) 7th Prime Minister |
19 December 1926 | 23 January 1928 | 401 | Mensheviks Party (MP) |
I | LSDSP - MP - LPP - DC - LJS DC exited cabinet |
2 ( ···· ) |
8 | ![]() |
P?teris Jura?evskis (1872-1945) 8th Prime Minister |
24 January 1928 | 30 November 1928 | 312 | Democratic Centre (DC) |
I | LZS - DC - LZP - VRP / DbRP | 2 ( ···· ) |
5 (2 of 2) |
- | Hugo Celmi (1877-1941) |
1 December 1928 | 26 March 1931 | 846 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
II | LZS - DC - LJSP - LDZA - LA - KNP - VRP / DbRP DC, KNP, VRP / DbRP exited cabinet |
3 (1928) |
1 (3 of 4) |
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K?rlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) |
27 March 1931 | 5 December 1931 | 254 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
VI | LZS - LJSP - LDZA - NA - MKRA - LKZP - LPP | 3 ( ···· ) |
7 (2 of 2) |
- | Mar?ers Skujenieks (1886-1941) |
6 December 1931 | 23 March 1933 | 474 | Progressive Association of New Farmers (PA) |
II | PA - DC - LZS - LZPA LJSP joined later |
4 (1931) |
9 | ![]() |
?dolfs B?odnieks (1889-1962) 9th Prime Minister |
24 March 1933 | 16 March 1934 | 358 | Party of New Farmers and Smallholders (LJSP) |
I | LJSP - LZS - DC - LZPA - PA - LKKP - KDP DC, PA exited cabinet |
4 ( ···· ) |
1 (4 of 4)[2] |
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K?rlis Ulmanis (1877-1942) |
17 March 1934 | 15 May 1934 | 2287 | Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS) |
VII | LZS - KA - LKKP - LPP - KDP | 4 ( ···· ) |
15 May 1934 | 19 June 1940 | Independent | VIII | No party | Dis. | ||||
-[3] | ![]() |
Augusts Kirhen?teins (1872-1963) |
20 June 1940 | 25 August 1940 | 66 | CPSU | I | CSPU | Dis. |
1 During the 1918-1920 Independence War, Latvia was contested by two other governments: the government of Soviet Latvia, led by P?teris Stu?ka, and the government of Andrievs Niedra, backed by Baltic Germans. Some sources may list Stu?ka and Niedra as prime ministers for periods when their governments controlled most of Latvia.
2 On 15 May 1934, prime minister Ulmanis dissolved parliament and banned all political parties (including his own Farmer's Union), establishing authoritarian rule.
3 Puppet leader appointed by Soviet authorities. Not recognized as such by the Latvian government.
From 4 May 1990 after adopting the Declaration of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic.
Political Party:
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth-Death) |
Term of Office | Political Party | Cabinet | Saeima | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took Office | Left Office | Days | |||||||
1 (1 of 2) |
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Ivars Godmanis (born 1951) 10th Prime Minister |
7 May 1990 | 3 August 1993 | 1136 | Popular Front of Latvia (LTF) |
I | LTF LC joined later |
SC (1990) |
2 | ![]() |
Valdis Birkavs (born 1942) 11th Prime Minister |
3 August 1993 | 15 September 1994 | 408 | Latvian Way (LC) |
I | LC - LZS - LZP | 5 (1993) |
3 | ![]() |
M?ris Gailis (born 1951) 12th Prime Minister |
15 September 1994 | 21 December 1995 | 462 | Latvian Way (LC) |
I | LC - TPA - LZS - LZP TB joined later and exited cabinet |
5 ( ···· ) |
4 (1 of 2) |
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Andris le (born 1958) 13th Prime Minister |
21 December 1995 | 13 February 1997 | 595 | Independent | I | DP'S' - TB - LC - LNNK - LZS - LZP - LVP | 6 (1995) |
13 February 1997 | 7 August 1997 | II | DP'S' - TB - LC - LNNK - LZS - LZP KDS joined later |
6 ( ···· ) | |||||
5 | ![]() |
Guntars Krasts (born 1957) 14th Prime Minister |
7 August 1997 | 26 November 1998 | 476 | For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (TB/LNNK) |
I | TB/LNNK - LC - LZS - LZP - DPS - KTP DPS and KTP exited cabinet |
6 ( ···· ) |
6 | ![]() |
Vilis Kri?topans (born 1954) 15th Prime Minister |
26 November 1998 | 16 July 1999 | 232 | Latvian Way (LC) |
I | LC - TB/LNNK - JP LSDSP joined later |
7 (1998) |
4 (2 of 2) |
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Andris le (born 1958) |
16 July 1999 | 5 May 2000 | 294 | People's Party (TP) |
III | TP - LC - TB/LNNK | 7 ( ···· ) |
7 | ![]() |
Andris B?rzi (1951-) 16th Prime Minister |
5 May 2000 | 7 November 2002 | 916 | Latvian Way (LC) |
I | LC - TP - TB/LNNK - JP | 7 ( ···· ) |
8 | ![]() |
Einars Rep?e (born 1961) 17th Prime Minister |
7 November 2002 | 9 March 2004 | 488 | New Era Party (JL) |
I | JL - TB/LNNK - LZS - LPP - LZP LPP exited cabinet |
8 (2002) |
9 | ![]() |
Indulis Emsis (born 1952) 18th Prime Minister |
9 March 2004 | 2 December 2004 | 268 | Latvian Green Party (LZP) |
I | TP - LPP - LZS - LZP | 8 ( ···· ) |
10 | ![]() |
Aigars Kalv?tis (born 1966) 19th Prime Minister |
2 December 2004 | 7 November 2006 | 1113 | People's Party (TP) |
I | TP - JL - LZS - LPP - LZP JL exited cabinet |
8 ( ···· ) |
7 November 2006 | 20 December 2007 | II | TP - LZS - LPP - TB/LNNK - LZP - LC | 9 (2006) | |||||
1 (2 of 2) |
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Ivars Godmanis (born 1951) |
20 December 2007 | 12 March 2009 | 448 | Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way (LPP/LC) |
II | LPP/LC - TP - LZS - TB/LNNK - LZP | 9 ( ···· ) |
11 | ![]() |
Valdis Dombrovskis (born 1971) 20th Prime Minister |
12 March 2009 | 3 November 2010 | 1777 | New Era Party (JL) JL later replaced by V |
I | JL - TP - TB/LNNK - LZS - LZP - PS | 9 ( ···· ) |
3 November 2010 | 25 October 2011 | II | JL - PS - SCP - LZS - LZP - LP JL, PS, SCP, LP later replaced by V |
10 (2010) | |||||
25 October 2011 | 22 January 2014 | Party "UNITY" (V) |
III | V - ZRP - NA | 11 (2011) | ||||
12 | ![]() |
Laimdota Straujuma (born 1951) 21st Prime Minister |
22 January 2014 | 5 November 2014 | 750 | Party "UNITY" (V) |
I | V - RP - NA - LZS - LZP | 11 ( ···· ) |
5 November 2014 | 11 February 2016 | II | V - NA - LZS - LZP - LuV - LP | 12 (2014) | |||||
13 | ![]() |
M?ris Ku?inskis (born 1961) 22nd Prime Minister |
11 February 2016 | 23 January 2019 | 1077 | Liep?ja Party (LP) |
I | V - NA - LZS - LZP - LuV - LP | 12 ( ···· ) |
14 | ![]() |
Kri?j?nis Kari (born 1964) 23rd Prime Minister |
23 January 2019 | incumbent | 808 | New Unity (JV) |
I | JV - JKP - KPV LV - A/P! - NA | 13 (2018) |
# | Prime Minister | Date of birth | Age at ascension (first term) |
Time in office (total) |
Age at retirement (last term) |
Date of death | Longevity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | K?rlis Ulmanis | September 4, 1877 | 41 years, 75 days | 9 years, 334 days | 62 years, 287 days | September 20, 1942 | 65 years, 16 days |
2 | Zigfr?ds Meierovics | February 6, 1887 | 34 years, 133 days | 2 years, 70 days | 36 years, 354 days | August 22, 1925 | 38 years, 197 days |
3 | J?nis Pau?uks | November 12, 1865 | 57 years, 76 days | 0 years, 152 days | 57 years, 228 days | June 21, 1937 | 71 years, 221 days |
4 | Voldem?rs Z?mu?ls | May 22, 1872 | 51 years, 250 days | 0 years, 327 days | 52 years, 210 days | September 25, 1944 | 75 years, 239 days |
5 | Hugo Celmi | October 30, 1877 | 47 years, 50 days | 3 years, 121 days | 53 years, 147 days | July 30, 1941 | 63 years, 273 days |
6 | Arturs Alberings | January 8, 1876 | 50 years, 119 days | 0 years, 226 days | 50 years, 345 days | April 26, 1934 | 58 years, 108 days |
7 | Mar?ers Skujenieks | June 22, 1886 | 40 years, 180 days | 2 years, 145 days | 46 years, 274 days | July 12, 1941 | 55 years, 20 days |
8 | P?teris Jura?evskis | March 23, 1872 | 55 years, 307 days | 0 years, 312 days | 56 years, 252 days | January 10, 1945 | 72 years, 293 days |
9 | ?dolfs B?odnieks | July 24, 1889 | 43 years, 243 days | 0 years, 358 days | 44 years, 235 days | March 21, 1962 | 72 years, 240 day |
10 | Augusts Kirhen?teins | September 18, 1872 | 67 years, 276 days | 0 years, 66 days | 67 years, 342 days | November 11, 1963 | 91 years, 46 days |
11 | Ivars Godmanis | November 27, 1951 | 38 years, 161 days | 4 years, 124 days | 57 years, 105 days | Living | 69 years, 134 days (Living) |
12 | Valdis Birkavs | July 28, 1942 | 51 years, 6 days | 1 year, 43 days | 52 years, 49 days | Living | 78 years, 256 days (Living) |
13 | M?ris Gailis | July 9, 1951 | 43 years, 37 days | 1 year, 97 days | 44 years, 165 days | Living | 69 years, 275 days (Living) |
14 | Andris le | January 16, 1958 | 37 years, 339 days | 2 years, 159 days | 42 years, 110 days | Living | 63 years, 84 days (Living) |
15 | Guntars Krasts | October 16, 1957 | 39 years, 295 days | 1 year, 111 days | 41 years, 51 days | Living | 63 years, 176 days (Living) |
16 | Vilis Kri?topans | June 13, 1954 | 44 years, 166 days | 0 years, 232 days | 45 years, 33 days | Living | 66 years, 301 days (Living) |
17 | Andris B?rzi | August 4, 1951 | 48 years, 275 days | 2 years, 186 days | 51 years, 95 days | Living | 69 years, 249 days (Living) |
18 | Einars Rep?e | December 9, 1961 | 40 years, 333 days | 1 year, 123 days | 42 years, 91 days | Living | 59 years, 122 days (Living) |
19 | Indulis Emsis | January 2, 1952 | 52 years, 67 days | 0 years, 268 days | 52 years, 335 days | Living | 69 years, 98 days (Living) |
20 | Aigars Kalv?tis | June 27, 1966 | 38 years, 158 days | 3 years, 18 days | 42 years, 91 days | Living | 54 years, 287 days (Living) |
21 | Valdis Dombrovskis | August 5, 1971 | 37 years, 219 days | 4 years, 316 days | 42 years, 170 days | Living | 49 years, 248 days (Living) |
22 | Laimdota Straujuma | February 24, 1951 | 62 years, 332 days | 2 years, 20 days | 64 years, 352 days | Living | 70 years, 45 days (Living) |
23 | M?ris Ku?inskis | November 28, 1961 | 54 years, 75 days | 2 years, 345 days | 57 years, 56 days | Living | 59 years, 133 days (Living) |
24 | Kri?j?nis Kari | December 13, 1964 | 54 years, 41 days | 2 years, 77 days | Living | 56 years, 118 days (Living) |