Latvian MP warned over Russian-language video filmed in parliament

Latvia’s temporary parliamentary committee on mandates, ethics and submissions issued MP Andrejs Pagors a written warning for breaching the lawmakers’ code of ethics, LSM reported Wednesday.

Pagors posted a video on TikTok on November 3, the first working day of the 15th Saeima, Latvia’s parliament. Speaking in Russian, he described the agenda for the first session. He said he had wanted to address voters and show them what a parliamentarian’s work involved, adding that he had not known he was not allowed to speak Russian and would not do so again.

The Saeima Presidium had asked the committee to assess whether Pagors had violated the ethics code. The committee said his actions breached point 18, which requires MPs to use the state language in parliament, both in communication with one another and with Latvian society, and to avoid actions that could cast doubt on the importance of Latvian.

The rule was added to the code on May 29, 2025, following a proposal by the National Alliance that work and communication in parliament take place in Latvian. The temporary committee includes one MP from each parliamentary group and will serve until the permanent committee of the 15th Saeima is established.