page_title: President of Latvia
section_title: See also
hierarchical_section_title: President of Latvia / See also
caption_attribution_description: 2015.gada 8.jūlijs. Saeimas priekšsēdētāja Ināra Mūrniece svinīgā ceremonijā Valsts prezidentam pasniedz valsts apbalvojumus. Foto: Ernests Dinka, Saeimas Kanceleja Izmantošanas noteikumi: saeima.lv/lv/autortiesibas
context_page_description: The president of Latvia is head of state and commander-in-chief of the National Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia.
  The term of office is four years. Before 1999, it was three years. He or she may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. In the event of the vacancy in the office of the president, the speaker of the Saeima assumes the duties of the president. For example, after the death of Jānis Čakste the speaker of the Saeima, Pauls Kalniņš, was acting president briefly in 1927, before a new president could be elected.
  Unlike his Estonian counterpart, the Latvian president's role is not entirely ceremonial. However, he is not as powerful as the president of Lithuania. Unlike in Estonia, he shares executive power with the cabinet and prime minister. However, he is not politically responsible for carrying out his duties, and all presidential orders must be countersigned by a member of the cabinet – usually the prime minister.
  The tenth and current officeholder, and sixth since the restoration of independence, is Egils Levits, who was elected on 28 May 2019 and began his first four-year term on 8 July 2019.
context_section_description: Lists of office-holders
  List of Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic ("head of state" during the Soviet era)
caption: The five most recent presidents of Latvia in 2015
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