Legal proceedings between the public service broadcaster Latvian Television and the political alliance Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) concerning participation criteria for televised debates ahead of Latvia’s 14th parliamentary elections have concluded. The case concerned participation criteria introduced by the public broadcasting company, under which only parliamentary candidates representing political parties or alliances polling at least 2% were eligible to take part in the final pre-election debate. The political alliance ZZS challenged these criteria, arguing that they unjustifiably prevented its nominated candidate for Prime Minister, who was not standing for election to Parliament, from participating in the debate.
In its judgment of 27 October 2026, the Supreme Court of Latvia dismissed ZZS’s appeal on points of law and upheld the Regional Administrative Court’s judgment dismissing the application.
In examining the case, the Supreme Court held that the right under the Pre-election Campaign Law to participate in at least one pre-election programme is granted to a registered list of parliamentary candidates, rather than to a particular individual selected by a political party or alliance. Accordingly, a party’s nominated candidate for Prime Minister who is not standing for election to Parliament has no independent legal right to demand participation in a particular pre-election programme.
“This judgment is significant for the editorial independence of public service media and electoral law. The Supreme Court confirmed that public service broadcasters have the right to set participation criteria for pre-election programmes, while respecting the fundamental principles governing public service media and the principles of free and equal elections. Equal access to public service broadcasting does not mean a right to equal airtime or to demand the participation of a particular individual in election debates. Public service media must provide reliable and diverse information that enables voters to form free and informed opinions while maintaining editorial independence,” explains Gabriela Šantare, Head of COBALT’s Administrative and Criminal Litigation Practice Group and legal counsel to the public broadcasting company in the proceedings.
The Supreme Court found that the public broadcasting company had applied the same participation criteria to all political parties and alliances. ZZS had been given the opportunity to participate in the final debate through an eligible parliamentary candidate and in other pre-election programmes through its nominated candidate for Prime Minister. There was therefore no basis for finding the public broadcaster’s conduct unlawful.
The public service broadcaster Latvian Television was successfully represented in the proceedings by COBALT Managing Partner Lauris Liepa and Head of Administrative and Criminal Litigation Practice Group Gabriela Šantare.
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