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DirectDemocracyS
Global Political Organization
LATVIA
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC,
FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL PROGRAM
Authentic, direct, permanent and protected democracy
2026 | Riga — Latvia
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"Latvia's wealth and the power to decide the fate of its country belong to "Only and exclusively for the people of Latvia - forever." — DirectDemocracyS Basic Principle |
Latvia is at a critical crossroads in 2026. On the one hand, the country is a member of NATO and the EU, has successfully decoupled from the Russian electricity grid, and is demonstrating a Western orientation. On the other hand, deep structural problems continue to undermine the foundations of society: mass emigration, poverty, inequality, corruption, a distorted democracy, and political instability.
Traditional parties are offering the same recipes that have not worked for decades. The Kullberg government — the fourth coalition in a row with many of the same faces — takes office with promises of security and budget stability, but fails to address the fundamental question: How does the will of the people become law? How does the population gain real control over their country?
DirectDemocracyS (DDS) offers a completely new approach — not reforms in the system, but transformation of the system. This document is a complete political program for Latvia, based on logic, common sense, research, reality, truth, consistency and mutual respect. It analyzes every significant problem and offers concrete, workable solutions.
On 28 May 2026, Latvia approved its 43rd Cabinet of Ministers, a government led by Andris Kulbergs, which includes four political forces: the United List, the New Unity, the National Alliance, and the Greens and Farmers' Union. This coalition was formed after the Progressives withdrew from the previous government led by Evika Siliņa.
The fact that Latvia has had 43 Cabinets of Ministers since independence speaks for itself. The average lifespan of a government is less than a year and a half. Such instability makes long-term planning impossible, encourages corruption, and ensures that political parties serve their own interests, not the interests of the people.
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CRITICAL PROBLEM: Parliamentary fragment without real popular control The 100 seats in the Saeima are divided between 7-9 factions. No party has a majority. Coalitions are formed behind closed doors, without the consent of voters. There is no mechanism for a citizen to recall a deputy or reject a law in a referendum in real time. 'Democracy' happens once every four years — on election day. |
The Kulbergs government prioritized the fight against corruption and cartels — but the same parties that make up the coalition have for years participated in a system where public procurement tenders, bank supervision, and regional financing serve party interests. The well-researched history of money laundering in Latvia’s banking sector — such as the collapse of ABLV Bank in 2018 — points to a deep structural failure, not isolated incidents.
According to the SGI 2024 assessment, public trust in the government in Latvia has been low for at least twenty years. Corruption in public procurement and financial scandals in banks are the main reasons for this distrust.
In Latvia, elections are held according to a proportional representation system with a 5% threshold. This model creates fragmentation, instability of coalitions and offers citizens the illusion of participation, but not real control. Deputies do not have an imperative mandate - they can change factions, vote against the will of the voters and not be held accountable for their decisions between elections.
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THE TRADITIONAL SYSTEM – PROBLEMS |
DDS - SOLUTION |
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Citizens vote once every 4 years. |
Citizens participate in every important decision |
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MPs are not accountable between elections |
Imperative mandate + right of withdrawal |
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Coalitions are formed in secret |
Every decision is transparent and publicly available |
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Information is filtered by the media and parties |
ddsAI and allddsAI: neutral, complete information |
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The minority can block the majority |
The fractal micro-group structure ensures that all voices are heard |
Latvia's GDP grew by 2.5% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, a moderate growth. But this figure hides deep inequalities: manufacturing and construction slowed growth, while trade and real estate benefited. The fruits of the economy are not being shared evenly.
Latvia remains one of the lowest-income countries in the EU. The Gini coefficient of 34.3% (2022) is higher than the EU average of 30.1%. 26% of the population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion – compared to the EU average of 21.7%. These figures are not 'statistics' – they describe people's everyday reality.
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EXAMPLE: Inequality between Riga and the regions In the Riga metropolitan region, only 4-5% of residents have incomes below the minimum level. In Latgale, this figure reaches 14%. This gap is not natural — it is the result of policy choices that concentrated investments in the capital and left the regions in degradation. DDS offers a system in which each region controls its own resources and makes its own decisions. |
The Kulbergs government faces an acute dilemma: Latvia’s defense budget must reach at least 5% of GDP by 2027 — which would make Latvia the first NATO member state to legally commit to such a threshold. Economist Volskis warns that if the economy does not become more productive, such a burden will either increase the budget deficit or the government will start cutting funding for education, health, and social care.
This is not just a budget problem - it is a crisis of democratic prioritization. Citizens are not asked how much of their quality of life they are willing to sacrifice for security. The decision is made by 66 members of parliament, many of whom have never suffered from poverty or low wages.
Latvia's business environment is formally assessed positively, but structural problems exist: high employer social taxes, complex bureaucracy, insufficient state support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The shadow economy remains significant, as the regular system is often too burdensome.
Since 1991, Latvia has lost approximately 700,000 residents — a quarter of its population — due to emigration and negative natural growth. The country currently has a population of approximately 1.9 million. Of the emigrants, more than 80% are between the ages of 18 and 35 — a loss of working-age residents, innovators, and future taxpayers.
The reason for emigration is not only income differences. Studies show that Latvians also emigrate because they do not feel heard in their country, do not trust the institutions, and do not see a hopeful future for their children. This is a symptom of democratic shortcomings.
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INDEX |
LATVIA |
EU AVERAGE |
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Poverty risk |
26% |
21.7% |
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Gini inequality |
34.3% |
30.1% |
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Gender wage gap |
22% |
14% |
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Emigration since 1991 |
-700,000 |
N/A |
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Population (2026) |
1.9 million |
Decreases |
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Pensioners' poverty risk |
Growing |
Stable |
Improving healthcare is one of the declared priorities of the Kulbergs government — and rightly so. Latvia’s healthcare system is a victim of chronic underfunding: doctors and nurses emigrate to higher-paying positions in Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia. Hospital lines are long. Dentistry is a luxury for most of the population. Mental health services are almost inaccessible.
Increasing the defense budget to 5% of GDP could mean less money for health if the economy does not grow. This is a real, not a theoretical, threat to the quality of life of citizens.
The quality of education is unequal between Riga and the regions. Rural schools lack teachers, materials, and modern infrastructure. University graduates often emigrate immediately after graduation — because there are not enough career opportunities in Latvia at the level of their skills. This is a vicious circle of the education system: investing in people, but failing to retain them.
Housing prices in Riga have been rising rapidly in recent years. Young people are unable to buy a home or sign a profitable rental agreement. Utility costs — especially energy — have put serious pressure on lower-income households in 2025-2026. Older people, whose pensions have not kept pace with economic development, are particularly vulnerable.
Latgale is the most structurally marginalized region of Latvia. Unemployment, poverty, emigration and infrastructure deficit are chronic problems. Drone warnings and border security problems in 2025-2026. additionally hinder the development of tourism and business. Kulbergs admitted that it is impossible to solve all the problems of local governments before the elections.
This recognition, while fair, is a description of the symptoms, not a solution. A centralized government with a limited mandate cannot solve decentralized problems. DDS offers a system in which the residents of Latgale themselves control their priorities and resources.
In February 2025, Latvia successfully disconnected from the Russian power grid and synchronized with the continental European grid. This is a significant strategic achievement. Together with Germany and Lithuania, Latvia is planning the 'Baltic-German PowerLink', an undersea cable connection for electricity trade and offshore wind farms.
However, the energy transition poses new challenges: energy prices in 2025-2026 are still higher than before the crisis, and lower-income households are suffering the most. The development of renewable energy should be encouraged, but it must not become an instrument that enriches private investors at the expense of the public account.
Before describing specific solutions, it is important to understand the basic principles of the DirectDemocracyS system, because they determine HOW decisions are made, not just WHAT decisions are made. DDS is not just another political party — it is a new type of political organization that operates in all countries of the world according to the same principles.
The organizational architecture of DDS is based on a fractal microgroup model, which allows for both local participation and global coordination at the same time. Each citizen belongs to a microgroup with 5 members. Each of the 5 microgroups merges into a higher group — and this structure continues, forming a network:
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FRACTAL EXPANSION: 1 → 5 → 25 → 125 → 625 → ... Every citizen is included in a small, human group where their voice is heard personally. At the same time, these groups are connected at higher levels, ensuring coordination on a national scale. No person remains anonymous in the crowd, and no issue is lost in bureaucracy. |
Each microgroup has specialists in their field. Economic issues are addressed by economist groups, health issues by medical groups, etc. These groups receive complete information from the ddsAI and allddsAI systems, discuss and make decision recommendations, which are gradually summarized at higher levels.
One of the most innovative elements of DDS is the integration of artificial intelligence systems. ddsAI is DirectDemocracyS' artificial intelligence system, which:
allddsAI is an even more revolutionary concept: artificial intelligence systems are integrated as full members of the DDS with rights and responsibilities. They provide suggestions and criticism just like human members. Romeo Sassi – the authorized coordinator (ponte umano) of the DDS – oversees this human-AI interaction, ensuring that the AI systems operate ethically and in accordance with the principles of the DDS.
In the DDS system, every elected representative operates with an imperative mandate — they are forced to vote in accordance with the decision of their micro-group of voters. This prevents a situation where a deputy, elected with one program, voted for something completely opposite. If a representative ignores the decision of their group, they can be recalled at any time.
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LATVIA'S SYSTEM TODAY |
DDS SYSTEM |
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The MP votes as he wishes. |
The MP votes according to the decision of the microgroup. |
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Cannot be withdrawn early |
Can be revoked at any time by majority vote |
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Citizens don't know why a member of parliament votes this way or that way. |
The rationale for each vote is publicly available. |
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The coalition is formed in secret |
Every decision is transparently documented |
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Elections — every 4 years |
Constant participation in every important decision |
DDS provides secure verification of citizens' identities using a three-code system — personal data, biological data, and an anonymous activation code. This system guarantees:
DDS operates with a clear normative hierarchy: Rules → Recommendations → Logic/common sense. This means that all decisions must comply with the basic rules, recommendations serve as a guide, but in cases where the rules and recommendations are silent, logic and common sense determine the right course of action.
DDS offers a gradual transition from representative democracy to direct democracy. The first step is a demonstration — to prove that the system works at the local level. Strategic goal: to win elections in a small Latvian municipality, demonstrate the DDS system in action, and expand.
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SPECIFIC EXAMPLE: How DDS works in a municipality Let's assume that DDS manages the Jelgava municipality. Question: Should a new health center be established in Jelgava? The DDS platform informs all registered citizens with a complete analysis (costs, benefits, alternatives). A microgroup of medical specialists prepares an expert recommendation. Citizens discuss in their microgroups for 7 days. Then a public vote takes place. The decision is binding. The entire process is publicly documented. |
The essence of the DDS approach to combating corruption is not just harsh penalties, but structural impossibility. If every euro spent is publicly available in real time, if every decision is documented and explained, if every official can be recalled at any time — then the possibility of corruption becomes minimal.
DDS supports a change in the electoral system, which provides for: the abolition or lowering of the 5% threshold (thus ensuring greater representation); mandatory transparency of candidates (all sources of funding public); the possibility of electronic voting with secure three-code verification; and a gradual transition to direct democracy, where citizens also decide on draft laws in referendums.
The basic principle of the DDS: Latvia's natural resources, state-owned enterprises, and strategic infrastructure belong to all Latvian citizens. This does not mean 'state communism' — it means that privatization should not take place at a low price, that Latvian assets should not come under foreign control, and that every citizen is entitled to a share of the state's income.
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EXAMPLE: Latvenergo and energy resources Latvenergo belongs to the Latvian state — that is right. DDS advocates that it should remain so and be enshrined in the constitution. Any privatization or foreign control of the energy sector would be an alienation of the wealth of the Latvian people. Income from Latvenergo should be used for the benefit of citizens — for lower energy bills, education, health. |
Latvia cannot rely solely on transit and service exports. The DDS economic program provides for:
The Latvian tax system is burdensome for lower-paid workers and SMEs, but relatively more advantageous for large companies. DDS advocates for:
DDS supports the implementation of a Guaranteed Universal Minimum Income (GUMI), linked to structured volunteer work. This is not 'money for nothing' - it is a basic safety net that allows citizens to take risks with startups, get an education, and participate in public life without existential fear.
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HOW DOES GUMI-SV WORK IN LATVIA? Every Latvian citizen receives a basic income (for example, 400 EUR per month) if they perform a minimum of voluntary community service — 10-15 hours per month. The work can be: community maintenance, helping seniors, environmental cleaning, cultural events. The result: less poverty, a more active civil society, a smaller burden on health and social services. |
DDS argues that the state budget is not just a document adopted by the Saeima once a year — it is a living instrument that citizens can track in real time. ddsAI platform:
Latvia has committed to spending 5% of its GDP on defense from 2027. DDS is not opposed to security — it is a real need for a border state. However, DDS argues that this decision should be made with a direct mandate from citizens, and that defense spending should not be financed at the expense of health, education, and social services.
The concrete solution: additional defense spending should be covered by increased economic productivity, not by cuts to social services. The DDS economic program assumes GDP growth fast enough to provide for both.
Kulbergs rightly pointed out that Latvia cannot continue to grow its public debt. DDS agrees with this principle, but emphasizes: debt discipline must not mean a reduction in social spending without an alternative. DDS offers:
The DDS advocates for universal healthcare, financed by taxes and available to all citizens, regardless of income, place of residence or age. Specific measures:
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EXAMPLE: Health Center Model in Regions In Kuldīga (example) a municipality led by DDS is establishing a multidisciplinary health center with family doctors, psychologists, dentists and a tele-medicine connection with specialists in Riga. Costs: approximately 2 million EUR. Result: patients do not have to travel to Riga, doctors have access to modern workplaces, emigration is decreasing. |
Education is the most important investment in the future of a country. The DDS education program is based on the principle: every child should have equal access to quality education - regardless of whether they live in Riga or in the Latgale countryside.
Emigration will not stop with bans or patriotic slogans. People will stay and return if Latvia offers:
DDS offers a concrete return program for the diaspora: simplified reintegration into the labor market, tax breaks for the first 3 years after return, housing purchase or rental support, and — most importantly — real voice and influence through the DDS direct democracy platform.
Latvian pensioners are disproportionately exposed to poverty. The pension system has not kept pace with economic development. DDS advocates for:
Young people cannot start their lives in Latvia if housing prices are unaffordable. DDS offers:
Latgale is a structural challenge for Latvia. The basis of the DDS approach: The development of Latgale cannot be planned by the Riga bureaucracy. It can only be planned by the people of Latgale, who are given real powers and resources.
DDS stands against the polarization of Latvia in the Riga metropolis and degraded regions. Specific measures:
Latvia has successfully decoupled from the Russian electricity grid. DDS emphasizes: this achievement should be based on the public good, not private profit. Energy policy:
Latvia's forests, rivers and lakes are a national treasure. DDS advocates for the principle: environmental resources belong to all Latvian citizens, and their exploitation for private gain is limited. Latvia's forest management policy should be determined by citizens, not international investors.
DDS fully supports Latvia's NATO membership and strengthening of security. However, DDS emphasizes: security policy must not become a tool to silence criticism or reduce civil rights. Democracy and security are not contradictions - the safest countries are those where citizens are best informed and involved.
Russian information wars and Western media oligopolies equally threaten the ability of Latvian citizens to make informed decisions. DDS platforms and allddsAI systems offer a third way: a neutral, fact-based, manipulation-resistant information space.
The introduction of DDS in Latvia is not a theoretical project — it is a practical mobilization. First steps:
The Latvian version of ddsAI is configured with:
In Latvia, with a population of 1.9 million, the fractal structure of microgroups looks like this:
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LEVEL |
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS AND FUNCTION |
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Basic microgroup (5 people) |
380,000 groups — every citizen in a group |
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Second level (25 people) |
76,000 groups — coordinate decisions of base microgroups |
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County groups (125+) |
Every Latvian municipality with its own group |
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Regional groups |
Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale, Latgale, Riga |
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National group |
Coordinates the activities of the entire Latvian DDS |
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International coordination |
Connected to the DDS global network |
DDS funding principle: the organization is completely independent from big business, foreign donors and government grants that could influence decisions. Funding sources:
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FIELD |
EXPECTED RESULT |
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Citizen engagement |
Significant increase in political participation - citizens see their impact |
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Corruption in local government |
Reduction in DDS-managed areas due to transparency |
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Awareness |
ddsAI users better informed, less exposed to misinformation |
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Emigration |
Gradual reduction — young Latvians see political future at home |
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Regional development |
Pilot project municipalities see improvements in service quality |
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FIELD |
EXPECTED RESULT |
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Population |
Stabilization and possible start of growth due to diaspora return |
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Income inequality |
Reduction of the Gini coefficient to the EU average |
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Poverty risk |
From 26% to 18-20% — approaching the EU average |
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Political stability |
Fewer coalition crises — citizens, not parties, set the direction |
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Economic diversification |
New sectors — green economy, IT, renewable energy |
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Gender wage gap |
From 22% to below 15% — through transparent salary data |
Latvia, which has fully implemented the DDS system, would:
An open and honest DDS also assesses risks and challenges:
Latvia in 2026 is a country with enormous untapped potential. Its people are educated, hardworking, and capable. Its nature is rich. Its geographical position is strategic. But it has a system that prevents this potential from being realized — a system where decisions are made by small elites behind closed doors, where the citizen is a voter once every four years, but not a real participant.
DirectDemocracyS proposes to change this system — not with revolution, but with evolution. Step by step, municipality by municipality, group by group, Latvians can become the true masters of their country.
Latvia's wealth — forests, waters, energy, human talents — belong to Latvians. Latvians should make decisions for Latvia. Not parties. Not oligarchs. Not foreign investors. Not international institutions.
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LATVIA IS A COUNTRY OF LATVIANS. The wealth and power of decision of Latvia belong ONLY to the Latvian people. DirectDemocracyS is a way to turn this idea into reality. |
Join us. Latvia is waiting for its true owners.
www.directdemocracys.org
— DirectDemocracyS, 2026 —
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