The New 2026 Regional Report on the State of the Rule of Law in Europe! What Is the Situation in Latvia?

For the seventh consecutive year, the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (European Network of National Human Rights Institutions/ENNHRI) is calling on its member organizations to report on the state of the rule of law in their respective countries, focusing on various aspects of human rights and promoting and safeguarding democratic values. This report provides an opportunity to view Latvia in the context of other EU countries, to assess where our country is successfully implementing best practices and where improvements are needed. At the same time, it also provides the Ombudsman’s Office with an opportunity to demonstrate exactly what the institution has done to strengthen human rights in Latvia.

The Ombudsman’s Office has received the highest “A” rating in international accreditation (alongside countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Ukraine). This is the highest rating an institution can receive, demonstrating its ability to independently address human rights issues across various fields.

It should also be noted that we have been entrusted, on behalf of Latvia, to work on the AI Act together with Belgium, Cyprus, and Denmark, where the working group is led by Anete Ilves, Advisor to the Ombudsman on international law and artificial intelligence.

ENNHRI also noted the work on the Law on the Protection of Persons Engaged in Public Interest Activities, which was introduced in Latvia to comply with Directive (EU) 2024/1069 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 11, 2024, on the protection of persons engaged in public participation against manifestly unfounded claims or abusive legal proceedings.

You can read the report prepared by ENNHRI here: https://rule-of-law.ennhri.org/?country%5B0%5D=2&country%5B1%5D=28&year%5B0%5D=2026

We also invite you to review the Rule of Law Report prepared by the European Commission (EC): https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-rule-law-report-communication-and-country-chapters_en

Both reports are complementary, but the EC report is binding on the country and requires it to act in accordance with the recommendations.