A new government coalition, headed by new Prime Minister Einars Repše, has been approved by the Latvian parliament, according to local news media.

In a special session Nov. 7, the Saeima in a 55-43 vote approved a cabinet of ministers that draws from the ranks of four different and largely conservative political groups.

Among the appointments is Latvia’s first female foreign minister, Sandra Kalniete.

Leading the government will be Repše, the former Bank of Latvia governor whose conservative reform party, New Era (Jaunais laiks), won the most seats in the Oct. 5 parliamentary election. Also in the coalition is the conservative Christian party, Latvia’s First Party (Latvijas Pirmā partija); the nationalist For Fatherland and Freedom (Tēvzemei un brīvībai/LNNK), and the coalition between the Green Party and the Farmers’ Union (Zaļo un zemnieku savienība).

Left out of the coalition—as expected—are the other two major players in the new parliament: Andris Šķēle’s People’s Party (Tautas partija) and For Human Rights in a United Latvia (Par cilvēka tiesībam vienotā Latvijā, or PCTVL). The People’s Party is, like New Era, a conservative reform party. PCTVL, meanwhile, is a left-leaning party heavily favored by ethnic Russians.

The new government came together after several weeks of bickering over ministerial slots. Even with the approval, two cabinet posts remain empty, news reports said.

As part of the talks establishing the ruling coalition, each party was given charge of appointing some of the 17 ministers who are to run the government.

A postage stamp that depicts a painting by Vilhelms Purvītis has been named the best foreign entry for 2001 in an Italian philatelic exhibition, according to the Latvian Foreign Ministry in Rīga.

Mārtiņš Perts, the former Latvian ambassador to Italy, presented the Vasto philatelic exhibition’s award Nov. 6 to Aivars Droiskis, director general of the Latvian Post Office.

The festival each honors the best foreign stamp that showcases national art, according to press release from the foreign ministry.

The 40-santīmi stamp depicts Purvītis’ 1900 work, “Kad silava mostas.” Purvītis (1872-1945) was one of Latvia’s best-known landscape painters.

An exhibit that tells the story of Latvia under Nazi and Soviet occupation is touring the United Kingdom, according to the Latvian Foreign Ministry.

“Latvia Returns to Europe,” the exhibit created by the Occupation Museum of Latvia, was unveiled Nov. 4 in the Parliament building in London. The tour is sponsored by the Latvian Embassy in London and the Latvian National Council in Great Britain.

Speakers at a Nov. 5 presentation of the exhibit in Parliament included British Member of Parliament Nick Hawkins; Jānis Dripe, Latvia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom; Paulis Lazda, director of the Occupation Museum, and Andrejs Ozoliņš, head of the Latvian National Council in Great Britain.

After Parliament, the exhibit moves to Marylebone Library in London, where it will be available from Nov. 12-22.

The exhibit also is on display in Cardiff and Edinburgh and is planned for Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds and Liverpool, among other U.K. cities.