Latvian public initiative seeks to abolish Saeima deputy compensations

A public initiative is underway on the ‘Mana balss’ portal to collect signatures to abolish transport and housing rental compensations for members of the Saeima. To have the proposal considered by Parliament, 10,000 signatures are required; currently, over 4,300 have been collected.

The initiative was proposed by Andis Feldmanis, vice-chairman of the Latvian Health and Social Care Workers' Trade Union. Proponents argue that unlike healthcare workers and educators, who often pay for their own travel and housing when working in different regions, Saeima deputies receive state-funded reimbursements. The petition states that in a time of budget deficits, maintaining these compensations is against the public interest and that the funds should be redirected to critical sectors like healthcare, education, and internal security.

Public records indicate that in June, Saeima deputies received a total of 22,419.53 euros in compensations, with approximately 13,732.98 euros for housing and 8,686.55 euros for transport.