Unelected Saeima MPs to receive severance worth three monthly salaries
MPs who were not re-elected to Latvia's 15th Saeima will receive a one-off severance payment equal to three monthly salaries, though the total cost cannot yet be calculated. With roughly two-thirds of parliament's composition changing, payouts could total at least €0.85 million.
The Saeima's press service has confirmed to the LETA news agency that MPs who were not elected to the new 15th Saeima are entitled to a one-off severance payment equal to three months' salary. This is set out in Latvia's law on remuneration of officials and employees of state and municipal institutions, which states that a Saeima member whose mandate ends along with the parliament's term, and who is not elected to the next Saeima, receives such compensation.
Parliament cannot yet state the total amount to be paid out, since election results have not been formally confirmed and the official composition of the 15th Saeima is not yet known. Further uncertainty stems from the possibility that some elected candidates may decide not to take up their mandate.
The calculation is complicated by differences in pay — the base monthly salary for a Saeima MP in 2026 is €4,330 before tax, but many MPs receive additional pay for roles in the Presidium, parliamentary groups, committees or subcommittees. As a result, the three-month severance amount will vary from one departing MP to another.
Estimates based on the base salary suggest that, given roughly two-thirds of the parliament's membership is turning over, total severance payments could reach at least €0.85 million.
Major turnover in parliament
According to preliminary election results, the new Saeima will include more than 60 newcomers. The largest number of new MPs is expected from the Union List ("Apvienotais saraksts"), with nearly 30 new members, followed by the previously unrepresented "Sovereign Power/Union of New Latvia" alliance and "Latvia First." Meanwhile, "New Unity" lost the most seats, dropping from 26 mandates in the previous term to just seven this year.
Among politicians who provisionally will not return to the Saeima are several long-serving MPs and former ministers. The Union List won the election decisively with 41 seats, while voter turnout of 51.8% was the lowest since Latvia regained independence.
/nginx/o/2026/05/01/17606772t1hd820.png)
