Rights, duties and responsibilities of Latvian citizens
Questions here test whether you can distinguish three things that are often confused: rights you hold, duties the law imposes, and responsibilities that carry no legal sanction. They also test whether you know which rights belong to citizens specifically and which belong to everyone lawfully in Latvia.
Core rules
- Citizen-only rights: voting in Saeima elections and referenda from age 18, standing for election from 21, and the constitutional guarantee that a Latvian citizen may not be extradited to a foreign country.
- Rights for all persons in Latvia: expression, conscience and religion, assembly, association, petition, property, fair trial, education and a healthy environment. Non-citizens and permanent residents hold these too, but do not vote in Saeima elections.
- Duties: to comply with the Constitution and the laws, to respect the rights of others, to pay taxes, to protect the state - including the national defence service introduced in 2023, with exemptions and alternative service - and to safeguard the environment and cultural heritage.
- Responsibilities without legal sanction: voting, taking part in public life, following the rules of the state whose passport you hold even while abroad. Dual citizenship is restricted and permitted only in cases listed in the Citizenship Law.
Worked example
Question: 'Vai pilsonim ir pienākums piedalīties vēlēšanās?' Reasoning: the Satversme guarantees general, equal, direct and secret elections and gives citizens the right to vote from 18, but it does not make voting compulsory and no sanction follows abstention. Voting is therefore a right and a civic responsibility, not a legal duty. Answer: no, participation is a right, not an obligation.
Traps that cost marks
- Swapping tiesības and pienākums in the question, so that a correct fact is attached to the wrong category.
- Assuming all rights in the Satversme apply only to citizens, or that all apply equally to non-citizens.
- Claiming military service is voluntary - the national defence service is a legal duty for the designated age group, with defined exemptions.
- Confusing a Latvian citizen (pilsonis) with a non-citizen (nepilsonis) or a permanent resident.