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In order to learn about the everyday work of MPs and the staff of the parliament, on Job Shadow Day, 12 February, more than 250 youths from all over Latvia visited the Saeima. Shadows of other officials, ministerial employees, experts and journalists who visited the Saeima were able to attend committee meetings.

At the end of the day, the youths said that they welcomed the opportunity to see how the Saeima works because it helped them to choose their future field of studies and to plan their careers; some of the young people were also thinking of going into politics.

Saeima-based shadows took part in the work of the committees. For example, at the meeting of the European Affairs Committee they expresed their opinions on the availability of fruit and milk to schoolchildren, and at the Social Cohesion Committee meeting they discussed social. The parliament-based shadows also accompanied the Legal Bureau to a hearing at the Constitutional Court.

The youngest shadow was 9 year-old Undīne Daniela Skrastiņa from Āgenskalns Preschool who spent the day with the Public Relations Department, and the oldest shadow was 25 year-old Dagnija Ozola from the University of Latvia who spent the day with MP Jānis Upenieks. One shadow from Liepāja said that she had begun her day at 3 AM in order to arrive in Riga on time.

The youths not only attended meetings of committees and parliamentary groups throughout the day but also visited the Plenary Chamber, where they listened to a presentation by Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, about the legislative process, an integral part of which is public participation. The Speaker also informed the youths about the opportunity to take part in the 4th Youth Parliament and other events organised by the Saeima. 
The youths attended the Speaker’s meeting with the Ambassador of Georgia and posed for the traditional group photo with all of the MPs on the large marble staircase. The parliament shadows also participated in a pop-quiz to test their knowledge about the Saeima, as well as viewed the representation rooms of the parliament and posed for individual photos for a Shadow Day collage.

The Speaker of the Saeima was shadowed by four youths – Elīne Dembaska from Liepāja Secondary School No. 8, Lelde Krista Kalniņa from Ventspils 1st Gymnasium, Airisa Kalniņa from Āgenskalns State Gymnasium and Vitālijs Markušs from Saldus Vocational Secondary School. Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, as well as MPs Romāns Naudiņš, Raivis Dzintars, Valdis Zatlers, Inga Vanaga, Artis Parbiks, Edvards Smiltēns, Jānis Upenieks, Sergejs Potapks, Iveta Grigule, Juris Vectirāns, Gaidis Bērziņš and Dzintars Kudums had the greatest number of shadows.

This was the sixth time that the Saeima participated in Job Shadow Day.The Saeima is considered one of the most popular hosts of shadows in Latvia.

Photos from Shadow Day at the Saeima are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157640865797903/
Video is available at: http://ej.uz/gwr8
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Saeima Press Service