Truksnis not granted security clearance

RIGA - Jurmala Mayor Gatis Truksnis (Latvian Green Party) has not received the necessary security clearance to remain as city mayor, the politician himself confirmed during a Jurmala City Council meeting on Thursday.

Even though he believes the decision by the State Security Service (VDD) is "illegal", he stepped down from his post as Jurmala mayor.

He explained at the meeting that he had received a notification from the VDD of a decision "denying me access to objects of state secrecy and denying me a special permit authorizing me to use classified information".

"I consider the decision unlawful and unconstitutional, I will contest the decision in the procedure established by law and will fight to the end for justice, for Jurmala and its residents, and for a state governed by the rule of law," the politician read out his statement to the City Council and Vice Mayor Janis Ledins (Latvian Green Party) at the meeting.

Truksnis resigned from the post of Jurmala City Council chairman "to avoid any shadow of doubt about the decision-making" in the Council. At the same time, he stressed that his resignation did not imply agreement with the decision of the VDD.

Truksnis was elected to the Jurmala City Council after the 2025 local government election, and was voted in as the city's mayor with support of nine of the 15 city council members.

Truksnis is the first municipal politician to announce a decision by the VDD regarding security clearance.