Signature drive launched to cut Latvia's parliament from 100 to 70 seats

A signature-collecting campaign has begun on the public initiative platform Manabalss.lv, proposing to cut the number of members of Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, from the current 100 to 70. The initiative is credited to Ričards Bumbērs, who is calling for an amendment to Article 5 of the Constitution (Satversme) and a corresponding change to the Saeima Election Law, adjusting how mandates are distributed among electoral districts while preserving the proportional, democratic nature of the voting system.

Why 70 seats

The initiative explains the choice of 70 by pointing to demographic change. In 1993, when the current 100-seat parliament was established, Latvia had a population of roughly 2.6 million. By early 2026, that figure had fallen to 1.845 million, while the number of deputies remained unchanged. According to the author, 70 seats would roughly restore the ratio of citizens per deputy that existed more than three decades ago.

Claimed benefits and savings

Supporters of a smaller parliament argue it would increase individual accountability and visibility for each deputy, reduce political fragmentation, ease coalition-building, and speed up parliamentary work. The initiative also suggests a smaller Saeima would make it easier to staff committees with deputies who have genuine expertise in relevant fields, and could strengthen ties between lawmakers, voters and the regions.

A financial argument is also central to the proposal. The Saeima's 2026 budget is set at €40.28 million, of which about €31 million is allocated to salaries for deputies and staff. Bumbērs estimates that cutting 30 seats would save around €1.5 million a year in base salaries alone, based on 2026 pay levels, with further savings possible from reduced spending on deputies' assistants and various compensations.