On Wednesday, 16 June, the Saeima adopted the Historical Latvian Lands Law. It aims to create the necessary preconditions for strengthening the common identity of the population and for the preservation and sustainable development of the cultural and historical environment and cultural spaces of the historical Latvian lands.

As set out in the Law on Administrative Territories and Populated Areas, a law is to be prepared to address the issues of the cultural and historical identity and belonging of local communities. The respective Draft Law was submitted to the Saeima by the President of Latvia Egils Levits.

The preamble of the Law includes the historical aspects of the formation of the Latvian nation and emphasises that the diversity of Latvian identity, the cultural spaces and cultural and historical environment of historical Latvian lands are a shared treasure of the nation.

The new Law underscores the belonging of each parish and town to one of the five historical Latvian lands: Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme, Zemgale, and Sēlija. The awareness of the entire society, which includes support for local communities, is required for the preservation and development of the cultural and historical environment and cultural spaces of these lands that characterise the diversity of Latvian identity. According to the explanatory note of the Draft Law, it is necessary in order to promote the implementation of a conscious and systematic cultural policy in this field.

The Law also states that the state city of Riga, a Baltic metropolis, is a historical part of Vidzeme and that the special identity and the particularities of the cultural and historical environment of Riga should be supported and promoted. The Law also defines the state city of Jūrmala as a historical part of Vidzeme.

The Law establishes the rights and responsibilities of the inhabitants of historical lands, stipulating that everyone can nurture and develop the identity and cultural and historical environment of their land and promote the interest in preserving and passing it on to future generations.

It also sets out the obligation of the state and local governments to preserve and develop the identity and cultural and historical environment of historical lands through the development and implementation of permanent policies and the provision of support measures. The Law provides for cooperation between local governments to promote the preservation of the cultural and historical environment and a sense of common identity among the population.

The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to approve the historical Latvian lands and cultural spaces development plan by the end of the year to harmonise the measures implemented by the state and local governments, as well as to coordinate and target the use of state and local government resources available for this purpose. The Plan is a medium-term development planning document covering a period of seven years to be elaborated by the Ministry of Culture. The funding for the implementation of the Plan is to be determined when drafting the state budget for 2023.

The Law stipulates that the Cabinet of Ministers is to submit a yearly report to the Saeima and the President of Latvia on the progress made in achieving the objectives of the Law, the implementation of the plan and the intended further activities. The first report is due by 30 June 2023.

The Law also provides for the establishment of a council for the development of historical Latvian lands tasked with facilitating cooperation and decision-making between state institutions and local governments on issues concerning the identity of historical lands and the preservation and sustainable development of their cultural and historical environment and cultural spaces. The council will include the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economy, the Minister of Education and Science, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Agriculture, as well as representatives of the Saeima, the President of Latvia, local governments, one public representative from each historical land and the Liv community. The Council will be chaired by the Minister of Culture.

The Law will come into force on 1 July 2021.