13 new councillors begin work in Riga City Council

On Thursday, 5 November, 13 new deputies began work in the Riga City Council, the legislative body of the Latvian capital's municipality. They joined after several sitting members left for the Saeima, Latvia's parliament, following the elections. The newcomers have been approved to serve on the council's standing committees, Riga City Council reported.

Who they replace

After the 2026 Saeima elections, 13 politicians who won seats in the 15th Saeima gave up their council mandates. From the party "Latvija pirmajā vietā" (Latvia First) they are Ainārs Šlesers, Eduards Zivtiņš, Andrejs Klementjevs, Roberts Žemaitis and Jevgēnija Šafraneka. From the alliance "Suverēnā vara"/"Jaunlatvieši" (Sovereign Power/New Latvians) they are Jūlija Stepaņenko, Ļubova Švecova, Vjačeslavs Stepaņenko, Rūdolfs Brēmanis, Jūlija Sohina, Inna Djeri and Artūrs Klēbahs. Mairita Lūse of "Progresīvie" (The Progressives) also left the council.

New deputies and committees

• Igors Kļaviņš (Progresīvie) – Housing and Environment Committee; Social Affairs Committee.
• Vitālijs Orlovs (Latvija pirmajā vietā) – Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Committee; Social Affairs Committee.
• Leonīds Loginovs (Latvija pirmajā vietā) – Security, Order and Anti-Corruption Committee; Public Space and Mobility Committee.
• Māris Ruks (Latvija pirmajā vietā) – Public Space and Mobility Committee; Social Affairs Committee.
• Karina Plaude (Latvija pirmajā vietā) – Finance and Administration Committee; Public Space and Mobility Committee.
• Māris Mežals (Latvija pirmajā vietā) – Security, Order and Anti-Corruption Committee; City Property Committee.
• Eiženija Aldermane (Suverēnā vara) – Social Affairs Committee; Security, Order and Anti-Corruption Committee.
• Jānis Lauva (Suverēnā vara) – City Property Committee; City Development Committee.
• Vadims Baraņņiks (Suverēnā vara) – Public Space and Mobility Committee; Finance and Administration Committee.
• Normunds Grostiņš (Suverēnā vara) – Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Committee; City Development Committee.
• Anna Bondere (Suverēnā vara) – Housing and Environment Committee; Finance and Administration Committee.
• Nataļja Ļebedeva (Suverēnā vara) – Social Affairs Committee; Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Committee.
• Deniss Gorba (Suverēnā vara) – Public Space and Mobility Committee; Housing and Environment Committee.

Political experience

Some of the newcomers know the council well. Igors Kļaviņš and Eiženija Aldermane served in the previous term, while Vadims Baraņņiks and Deniss Gorba were deputies earlier. Baraņņiks was once also a deputy mayor of Riga, and Aldermane chaired the council's Education, Culture and Sports Committee.

Vitālijs Orlovs has experience as a member of the Saeima over several terms, and Leonīds Loginovs long headed the Freeport of Riga. Normunds Grostiņš once led the "Rīcības partija" party and was an assistant to Member of the European Parliament Tatjana Ždanoka. Māris Ruks, Karina Plaude and Māris Mežals have worked as assistants to Saeima members.