The Latvian parliamentary form of government and the significant powers vested in the President

Abstract

From a theoretical point of view, the Latvian parliamentary form of government has a strong western imprint. However, it strongly differs from its reference models and confers important powers on the Head of State, especially with regard to the legislative authority, as an inevitable legacy impacts of previous authoritarian regimes as well as of the Weimar government. The multi-party system and coalition governments affect the relationships among constitutional bodies and reduce public participation in favor of the President of the Republic.