Editing Latvia (section)

=== 1990–present ===
{{Further|Singing Revolution|Baltic Way|On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia}}
[[File:Riga barricade 1991.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Barricade in Riga to prevent the [[Soviet Army]] from reaching the [[Saeima|Latvian Parliament]] in July 1991]]

On 4 May 1990, the Supreme Council adopted the [[Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia]], and the Latvian SSR was renamed Republic of Latvia.<ref name="Imagining">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=36JG1JBlNroC&q=latvia+political+history|title=Imagining the Nation: History, Modernity, and Revolution in Latvia|last=Eglitis|first=Daina Stukuls|date=1 November 2010|publisher=Penn State Press|isbn=978-0-271-04562-7|language=en|access-date=14 November 2020|archive-date=19 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119144024/https://books.google.com/books?id=36JG1JBlNroC&q=latvia+political+history|url-status=live}}</ref>

However, the central power in Moscow continued to regard Latvia as a Soviet republic in 1990 and 1991. In January 1991, Soviet political and military forces unsuccessfully tried to overthrow the Republic of Latvia authorities by occupying the central publishing house in Riga and establishing a Committee of National Salvation to usurp governmental functions. During the transitional period, Moscow maintained many central Soviet state authorities in Latvia.<ref name="Imagining" />

[[Popular Front of Latvia|The Popular Front of Latvia]] advocated that all permanent residents be eligible for Latvian citizenship, however, universal citizenship for all permanent residents was not adopted. Instead, citizenship was granted to persons who had been citizens of Latvia on the day of loss of independence in 1940 as well as their descendants. As a consequence, the majority of ethnic non-Latvians did not receive Latvian citizenship since neither they nor their parents had ever been citizens of Latvia, becoming [[Non-citizens (Latvia)|non-citizens]] or citizens of other former Soviet republics. By 2011, more than half of non-citizens had taken [[naturalization]] exams and received Latvian citizenship, but in 2015 there were still 290,660 non-citizens in Latvia, which represented 14.1% of the population. They have [[Statelessness|no citizenship of any country]], and cannot participate in the parliamentary elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/stories-of-statelessness-latvia-and-estonia/|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20151127055909/http%3A//www.unhcr.org/ibelong/stories%2Dof%2Dstatelessness%2Dlatvia%2Dand%2Destonia/|archive-date=27 November 2015|title=Stories of Statelessness: Latvia and Estonia – IBELONG|work=IBELONG |date=12 January 2015}}</ref> Children born to non-nationals or stateless persons after the re-establishment of independence on 21 August 1991 are automatically entitled to citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Krūma |first=Kristine |date=2015 |title=Country report on Citizenship Law: Latvia |url=https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/34481/EUDO_CIT_2015_06-Latvia.pdf |access-date=10 March 2025 |publisher=European University Institute |page=7 |format=PDF}}</ref>

The Republic of Latvia declared the end of the transitional period and restored full independence on 21 August 1991, in the aftermath of the failed [[1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt|Soviet coup attempt]].<ref name="FINemb">{{cite web |url=http://www.finland.lv/public/default.aspx?nodeid=38439&contentlan=2&culture=en-US |title=History |publisher=Embassy of Finland, Riga |quote=Latvia declared independence on 21 August 1991...The decision to restore diplomatic relations took effect on 29 August 1991 |date=9 July 2008 |access-date=2 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511083836/http://www.finland.lv/public/default.aspx?nodeid=38439&contentlan=2&culture=en-US |archive-date=11 May 2011 }}</ref> Latvia resumed diplomatic relations with Western states, including Sweden.<ref>{{cite web |title=The King holds an audience with Latvia's President |url=https://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/latestnews/latestnews/thekingholdsanaudiencewithlatviaspresident.5.1af28464179eb669913b76a.html |website=Swedish Royal Court |access-date=26 August 2021 |archive-date=26 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826130749/https://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/latestnews/latestnews/thekingholdsanaudiencewithlatviaspresident.5.1af28464179eb669913b76a.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Saeima]], Latvia's parliament, was again elected in 1993. Russia ended its military presence by completing its troop withdrawal in 1994 and shutting down the [[Skrunda-1]] radar station in 1998.

The major goals of Latvia in the 1990s, to join [[NATO]] and the [[European Union]], were achieved in 2004. The [[NATO Summit 2006]] was held in Riga.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2006/p06-150e.htm |title=NATO Press Release |website=www.nato.int |access-date=16 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312162903/http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2006/p06-150e.htm |archive-date=12 March 2014 }}</ref> [[Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga]] was [[President of Latvia]] from 1999 until 2007. She was the first female head of state in the former Soviet bloc state and was active in Latvia joining both NATO and the European Union in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49119077|title=From child refugee to president: Latvia's Vaira Vike-Freiberga|work=BBC News|date=4 August 2019|access-date=27 March 2021|archive-date=3 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203204231/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49119077|url-status=live}}</ref> Latvia signed the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen agreement]] on 16 April 2003 and started its implementation on 21 December 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=Schengen Area - The 27 Member Countries of the Schengen Zone |url=https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ |website=SchengenVisaInfo.com |language=en |access-date=3 June 2023 |archive-date=20 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320045320/https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Saeimas 18.novembra svinīgā sēde (45023401235).jpg|thumb|The ceremonial meeting of the [[Saeima]] in 2018 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia at the [[Latvian National Theatre]], where the country was [[Independence Day (Latvia)|founded on 18 November 1918]]]]
Approximately 72% of Latvian citizens are Latvian, while 20% are Russian.<ref>{{cite journal |author = Commercio Michele E |year = 2003 |title = Emotion and Blame in Collective Action: Russian Voice in Kyrgyzstan and Latvia |journal = Political Science Quarterly |volume = 124 |issue = 3 |pages = 489–512 |doi = 10.1002/j.1538-165X.2009.tb00657.x |s2cid = 55002696 }}</ref> The government denationalized private property confiscated by the Soviets, returning it or compensating the owners for it, and [[privatization|privatized]] most state-owned industries, reintroducing the [[Latvian lats|prewar currency]]. Albeit having experienced a difficult transition to a liberal economy and its re-orientation toward Western Europe, Latvia is one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union.<ref>{{cite web |title=Latvia Beat the Odds—But the Battle Is Far From Over |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2012/06/01/latvia-beat-the-odds-but-the-battle-is-far-from-over |website=IMF |language=en |date=1 June 2012 |access-date=1 September 2023 |archive-date=1 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901101035/https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2012/06/01/latvia-beat-the-odds-but-the-battle-is-far-from-over |url-status=live }}</ref> In November 2013, [[Zolitūde shopping centre roof collapse|the roof collapsed]] at a shopping center in Riga, causing Latvia's worst post-independence disaster with the deaths of 54 rush hour shoppers and rescue personnel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Riga mourns Maxima roof collapse victims |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/33833/ |work=www.baltictimes.com |access-date=1 September 2023 |archive-date=1 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901100416/https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/33833/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In late 2018 the National Archives of Latvia released a full alphabetical index of some 10,000 people recruited as agents or informants by the Soviet KGB. 'The publication, which followed two decades of public debate and the passage of a special law, revealed the names, code names, birthplaces and other data on active and former KGB agents as of 1991, the year Latvia regained its independence from the Soviet Union.'<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/09/latvia-opens-its-kgb-archives-while-russia-continues-whitewash-its-past/|department=Opinion |title=Latvia opens its KGB archives — while Russia continues to whitewash its past|author=Vladimir Kara-Murza |newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109190904/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/09/latvia-opens-its-kgb-archives-while-russia-continues-whitewash-its-past/|archive-date=9 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2023, the parliament elected [[Edgars Rinkēvičs]] as new [[President of Latvia]], making him the European Union's first openly gay head of state.<ref>{{cite news |title=Latvian parliament elects foreign minister as new president |url=https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/national/23559193.latvian-parliament-elects-foreign-minister-new-president/ |work=Impartial Reporter |date=31 May 2023 |language=en |access-date=3 June 2023 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603121301/https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/national/23559193.latvian-parliament-elects-foreign-minister-new-president/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After years of debates, Latvia ratified the EU ''Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence'', otherwise known as the [[Istanbul Convention]] in November 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kincis |first=Jānis |date=November 30, 2023 |title=Istanbul convention ratified by Saeima |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/saeima/30.11.2023-istanbul-convention-ratified-by-latvian-saeima.a533654/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |language=en |archive-date=2 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102173130/https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/saeima/30.11.2023-istanbul-convention-ratified-by-latvian-saeima.a533654/ |url-status=live }}</ref>