General Provisions and Foundations of the Latvian State
What Chapter I establishes
Satversme Chapter I (Articles 1–4) gives the state its constitutional identity. Latvia is an independent democratic republic. Sovereign power belongs to the people of Latvia, who exercise it through elected representatives and through referenda. The territory is described through the historical regions - Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale - and the state language is Latvian. The flag is red with a white horizontal stripe; the coat of arms and anthem are fixed by law. The exam often tests whether you can distinguish these foundational rules from ordinary statutes and from symbols regulated by separate law.
Core rules
- Article 1: independence and democratic republican form are binding constitutional foundations, not slogans.
- Article 2: sovereignty is located in the people, not in the Saeima alone. Parliament is a representative, not the source of sovereignty.
- Article 4: Latvian is the state language. This does not by itself ban the use of other languages in private life.
- State symbols have legal protection, but detailed rules on their use are set by law, not by Chapter I itself.
Worked example
A candidate says: “Because the Saeima is elected, only the Saeima can decide whether Latvia remains an independent state.” The reasoning is wrong. Article 2 places sovereign power in the people, exercised through representatives and referenda. Independence and the democratic republican form are foundational; changing them engages constitutional amendment rules, not a simple parliamentary majority. The Saeima acts within the Constitution, not above it.
Traps
Do not confuse the historical regions named in Article 3 with the current municipal map. Do not say the President or Saeima “owns” sovereignty. Do not treat the anthem or coat of arms as created by ordinary Cabinet regulation without a legal basis. A question may ask which rule is in Chapter I and which is in a statute: answer from the constitutional text first.