Latvia Swears In Openly Gay President Edgars Rinkevics

Although it is primarily a ceremonial office, Latvia’s president has the authority to veto legislation and convene referendums.

Edgars Rinkevics, Latvia’s long-serving foreign minister, has become the European Union’s first openly gay head of state.

Mr Rinkevics, Latvia’s foreign minister since 2011, was sworn in as the country’s president on Saturday in Riga.

Although it is primarily a ceremonial office, Latvia’s president has the authority to veto legislation and convene referendums.

The EU has previously had openly gay heads of government, but never a gay head of state.

In many countries, the heads of state and governments are distinct individuals, such as a president and prime minister. Former Belgian Prime Minister Elio di Rupo was the European Union’s first openly gay leader.

Mr Rinkevics, 49, came out in 2014 and has been an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights ever since.

In Latvia, gay marriage is outlawed, but the country’s constitutional court recognised same-sex unions last year.

In the third round of voting in May, Mr Rinkevics was elected as Latvia’s next president by the country’s parliament.

Mr Rinkevics promised to continue backing Ukraine’s ongoing military effort against Russia in his inauguration speech on Saturday.

He said Latvia’s foreign policy “does not have time for mistakes”, adding he will act “quickly, decisively and wisely”.

Also in his speech, Mr Rinkevics encouraged young Latvians to “break the glass ceiling” as he addressed inequality as being a “significant problem”.

“The social divide in our society is too big,” he said.

“During my presidency, I will stand up for the creation of a modern and strong Latvia, for a legal and just Latvia, for the wellbeing of the people, for an inclusive and respectful society.

“And it is possible for all of us to achieve this by working together.”

Mr Rinkevics succeeds Egils Levits, who served as president for four years and will represent Latvia at Nato’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, next week.

Latvia is one of three Baltic countries, along with Lithuania and Estonia, that joined the EU in 2004 after seceding from the collapsing Soviet Union in the early 1990s.