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| 1997, Jan. 20 |
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| Latvian premier Andris Skele resigned after making a controversial appointment for the position of finance minister and being accused of conflict of interest violations. | 1 |
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| 1998, Oct. 3 |
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| In response to international pressure from the U.S. and the EU, Latvia voted to ease its citizenship requirements that had excluded from citizenship over one-half million ethnic Russians who inhabited the country. However, competency in the Latvian language remained a requirement for official naturalization and citizenship. | 2 |
| In another referendum, parliamentary elections saw great division between various parties, and none were even close to gaining a legislative majority. Former premier Andris Skele regained the premiership briefly when his People's Party formed a coalition government. Skele succeeded Guntar Krasts as premier, who had held the position for less than a month. In November, Skele was replaced by Vilis Kristopanis. | 3 |
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| 1999, June 17 |
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| The legislature elected Vaira Vike-Frieberga as Latvia's first woman president, the only female president ever elected in an ex-Soviet republic. | 4 |
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| July 16 |
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| The Kristopanis government failed when agreement waned within his ruling coalition. The succeeding government, led by Andris Skele, collapsed on April 12, 2000. | 5 |
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| Dec. 10 |
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| Latvia was one of seven nations to receive an invitation from the EU to apply for membership. The other countries were Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Turkey, and Lithuania. | 6 |
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