Latvian MP Pagors gets written warning over Russian-language video from parliament

The Saeima's mandates, ethics and submissions committee decided on Wednesday to issue a written warning to Andrejs Pagors, an MP for Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Union, for communicating in Russian from the chamber of the Saeima, Latvia's parliament. The warning will be announced at a sitting of parliament and the decision published in Latvijas Vēstnesis, the official gazette, the Latvian news agency LETA reported.

A video on the first working day

On the first working day of the 15th Saeima, Pagors posted a TikTok video in which he described the agenda of the first sitting in Russian. Later that day he took the oath of office with the other MPs. The video is no longer on his account, but copies spread on social media.

The complaint was filed by the Saeima Presidium: the speaker, Edvards Smiltēns of the United List, his deputies Ināra Mūrniece of the National Alliance and Raimonds Vējonis of the United List, the secretary, Ramona Petraviča of Latvia First, and her deputy, Antoņina Ņenaševa of the Progressives. Mūrniece told the committee that the status of Latvian as the state language in the work of parliament is set out in Article 21 of the Constitution, and that the Saeima's rules of procedure require MPs to use the state language with one another and with the public on its premises.

Pagors's arguments

Pagors told the committee he disagreed with the complaint. He argued that the Presidium had no right to file it, since the rules allow complaints only from an MP, a group of MPs or a parliamentary group, and that a temporary committee could not consider it. He also said he was not yet an MP when he posted the video, as he had not taken the oath, and stressed that he had always treated the Latvian language with respect.

Dina Meistere, head of the Saeima's legal bureau, rejected those arguments, saying members of the Presidium are MPs and the temporary committee works until a permanent one is formed and can assess MPs' conduct.

How the committee voted

Opening the case was backed by the committee chair, Inga Priede, and by Dana Šlesere of Latvia First, Atis Švinka of the Progressives, Nauris Puntulis of the National Alliance and Edmunds Jurēvics of New Unity. Aleksejs Ignatjevs, also of Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Union, voted against, saying the committee should wait for the permanent body to be formed. The same five members voted that a breach had occurred, while Ignatjevs abstained.

Members proposed different penalties: Mūrniece suggested barring Pagors from one sitting of parliament, Šlesere an oral warning and Švinka and Puntulis a written one. The majority backed a proposal from Jurēvics for a written warning to be announced in parliament and published in the official gazette.