Latvia

What the government has said

“In our view this is a proposal to be supported, because it does not in any way provide for systematic, comprehensive scanning of people's private communications.”Interior Ministry, Kaspars Abolins, LSM, 11 September 2025, translated from Latvian

Receipt: Interior Ministry, Kaspars Abolins, LSM, 11 Sep 2025

The Saeima's EU committee leaned slightly against on 24 September 2025 without changing the position. In June 2026 Riga wanted the widest scope: known and new material and grooming.

How it voted in the Council

Negotiating mandate, 26 November 2025

yes The Council position adopted in Coreper: voluntary scanning only, no detection orders. Coreper does not publish votes; the split was reported the same day by the Czech news agency CTK.

Chat Control 1.0, 23 July 2026

yes The vote that brought back the temporary rules: voluntary scanning of private messages allowed until 3 April 2028.

A government can oppose mandatory scanning and still vote for the voluntary regime. The two are listed separately for that reason. Council votes need 15 states with 65 % of the population; four states with more than 35 % block.

How its MEPs voted

On 9 July 2026 the European Parliament voted on a motion to reject the Council text that brought back voluntary scanning, Chat Control 1.0. Rejection needed 361 votes and got 314, so the text passed. Of the 9 MEPs elected in Latvia, 3 voted to reject it, 5 voted against rejection, 0 abstained and 1 did not vote.

• 3 for rejection, that is against voluntary scanning
• 5 against rejection, letting the text pass
• 0 abstained
• 1 did not vote

The government line above concerns mandatory scanning; this vote concerned the voluntary regime. They are different questions, which is why both are shown. Source: roll-call vote 195775 as published by the European Parliament and compiled by HowTheyVote.eu; all 27 delegations side by side on the governments page.

Who decides in Latvia

Minister

Jānis Dombrava, Minister of the Interior in the Kulbergs government since 28 May 2026. The line on record was given by the Interior Ministry under the previous government on 11 Sep 2025. Justice Minister Edvards Smiltēns

Ministry in charge

Ministry of the Interior; Ministry of Justice

Permanent representation

Ambassador Reinis Brusbārdis, Permanent Representative (Coreper II); Ambassador Salvis Draviņš, Deputy Permanent Representative (Coreper I)

Source: www.mk.gov.lv/en/cabinet-composition

Timeline

1. 6 October 2026President Edgars Rinkēvičs says he will entrust Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs with forming the next government; the formal nomination can only follow once the new Saeima has met, on 3 November, and the current government has resigned. source
2. 3 October 2026Saeima election. On the provisional result, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs’s United List has 41 of the 100 seats. The President nominates a candidate to form the next government, which needs a majority in the Saeima. source
3. 23 July 2026Council vote on Chat Control 1.0, the temporary rules. Latvia: yes.
4. 9 July 2026European Parliament votes on rejecting Chat Control 1.0; the motion fails, the text passes. MEPs elected in Latvia: 3 for rejection, 5 against, 0 abstained, 1 did not vote. source
5. Since 10 Jun 2026Recorded as supports. Receipt: Interior Ministry, Kaspars Abolins, LSM, 11 Sep 2025 source
6. 28 May 2026The Kulbergs government (United List, New Unity, National Alliance, Union of Greens and Farmers) takes office; Jānis Dombrava becomes Minister of the Interior. source
7. 26 November 2025Council negotiating mandate adopted in Coreper. Latvia: yes.

Sources

• Interior Ministry, Kaspars Abolins, LSM, 11 Sep 2025 (receipt)
• Saeima EU affairs committee split, LSM, 24 Sep 2025
• Council minutes, 10 Jun 2026 (widest scope), via netzpolitik.org
• Permanent Representation of Latvia to the EU, representatives
• Method: what the labels mean and where the population shares come from