Latvian parliament bans public broadcaster from regular Russian-language content

Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, has approved a law that effectively bans the public broadcaster LSM from producing regular content in Russian. The bill passed with 55 votes, most coming from the governing coalition made up of New Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the National Alliance. Twenty-four lawmakers voted against it, representing the opposition parties the Progressives and Latvia First, as well as unaffiliated members.

Under the new law, LSM will only be permitted to produce Russian-language content in three specific situations: during an emergency, under a declared state of emergency, or as part of targeted efforts to counter false information "that threatens democracy and the Latvian state as a whole."

Taking effect in 2027

The law comes into force on January 1, 2027. LSM has indicated that, in practice, this will mean an end to its regular Russian-language content production.

The move continues a years-long trend of Latvian authorities restricting the use of Russian in public life. Legislation in 2024 removed Russian from ATM menus, and its use was banned in banking apps in the summer of 2025.

Public radio and television broadcasts have already excluded Russian since January 1, 2026. Prior to the new law, LSM's Russian-language output had been confined to its website and social media channels.

Russian is the native language of roughly one-third of Latvia's population.