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On Friday, 3 October, senior citizens gathered to discuss the silver economy together with policymakers at the Saeima. The event was held for the second time at the Parliament building in the context of the International Day of Older Persons, which is celebrated worldwide on October 1.

In her opening address, Saeima Speaker Daiga Mieriņa noted that society is changing—it is becoming more educated, open, and empathetic. At the same time, Speaker Mieriņa also pointed to various challenges, such as security threats, an aging population, and relentless demographic trends.

“We value every member of society and their potential, because that is the only way to build a sustainable society. Seniors play a particularly important role in this process," said the Speaker of the Saeima, emphasizing that 16 percent, or about 70,000 senior citizens, continue to work after reaching retirement age. This trend will continue to grow as society changes, and seniors change with it.

“Nowadays, maintaining dignity after reaching old age means not only a decent pension, but also the opportunity to be needed, to participate in social life, to support one's family, and to share one's knowledge and experience. By caring for senior citizens and reducing the risks that they face, we are simultaneously caring for our common future, because each one of us will one day be part of the silver economy generation," emphasized Speaker Mieriņa.

Looking back on what has been achieved since last year's International Day of Older Persons event at the Parliament, the Speaker of the Saeima highlighted significant steps in the area of pensions, including the implementation of pension indexations twice a year, which take into account the number of years of employment in determining the pension amount, prioritizing the development of a basic pension model, and maintaining the current retirement age.

Andris Bērziņš, Chair of the Saeima Social and Employment Matters Committee, also emphasized the progress that has been made since the first International Day of Older Persons event at the Saeima in 2024. The resolution adopted during last year's event was not just a "polite gesture" — it was forwarded to both the Cabinet of Ministers and government ministers, and the relevant Saeima Committee has been closely monitoring how the issues included in the resolution are being implemented, said Bērziņš.

The Chair of the Committee emphasized that working senior citizens are a great asset to our country, and that additional ways to support this population must also be sought through legislation. Bērziņš pointed out that, compared to many other European countries where senior citizens keep working after retirement age because they enjoy it, in the Baltic States they often do so out of financial necessity.

An opening speech was given by Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and Aija Barča, the Chair of the Latvian Pensioners' Federation, to address event attendees.

Two panel discussions took place during the event. The first was devoted to the issue of employment and labour market opportunities for older people, while the second panel discussion focused on inter-generational cooperation and knowledge transfer as a factor in economic development.

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Saeima Press Service