Latvia's Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, Ascends to Presidency

The Latvian Parliament has elected a new president. The majority of legislative votes were received by the experienced diplomat and current Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs. He becomes the 11th president of the country for the next four years, reports LTV.

In Parliament, a candidate must get 51 out of 100 votes. Rinkēvičs received 52 votes during the parliamentary voting.

The current president, Egils Levits, initially proposed his own candidacy but later withdrew it, stating that he would not run for a second term.

Rinkēvičs' main rival was Uldis Pīlēns, a businessman. He received 25 votes in the third round of voting after the third candidate, activist Elina Pinto, dropped out of the race.

In July, Rinkēvičs will represent the EU and NATO countries at the Vilnius Summit. He has been a popular minister, known for his toughness and sharp statements towards neighbouring Russia. Rinkēvičs has consistently spoken about unwavering support for Ukraine and the necessity of increasing aid at domestic and foreign forums.

The 49-year-old Rinkēvičs has served as the Latvian Foreign Minister for more than 12 years. He is the longest-serving diplomat in the country's history. Before his first diplomatic posting, he served as the Secretary of Defense for over 10 years. He was also one of the leaders of the delegation that negotiated Latvia's membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.

In his address to the Saeima (Latvian Parliament), the newly elected President thanked both the parliamentarians who supported him and those who voted against him, promising to do everything in his power to ensure the safety, unity, and prosperity of the country and to work closely with the Saeima and the government.

It is currently unknown who will replace Rinkēvičs as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Latvia is a parliamentary republic, as established by its 1922 Constitution. The main executive power lies with the Prime Minister, with the President playing a more international role.

At the same time, the President can perform various functions in domestic affairs and still holds certain powers. According to the Constitution, he can initiate laws, convene extraordinary government sessions, dissolve Parliament, or call for a nationwide referendum, direct the Prime Minister to form a government, approve laws passed by Parliament, or demand amendments to them. At different times, different Presidents of the country have used these powers differently, depending on how active a role they wanted to play in the country's political life.

The population of Latvia is less than 2 million, with Estonia, Lithuania, and Russia as neighbours. Latvia has been a member of NATO and the European Union since 2004.