Latvia First

Latvia First (Latvian: Latvija pirmajā vietā, LPV) is a right-wing populist[2] political party in Latvia.[3][4]

Not to be confused with Latvia's First Party.

Latvia First
Latvija pirmajā vietā
AbbreviationLPV
ChairpersonAinārs Šlesers
FoundersAinārs Šlesers
Jūlija Stepaņenko
Linda Liepiņa
Ļubova Švecova
Vilis Krištopans
Founded14 August 2021 (2021-08-14)
HeadquartersMūkusalas iela 41, Riga
Membership499 (2021 est.)[1]
IdeologyRight-wing populism
Political positionRight-wing
Colours  Burgundy
Seats in the Saeima
8 / 100
Website
latvijapirmajavieta.lv

It was founded in August 2021 by businessman and former member of parliament, former Minister of Transport, former vice-mayor of Riga, Ainārs Šlesers.[5] The party board chair is Ainārs Šlesers. The prequel to the party, the organisation Latvia — First (Latvian: Latvija — pirmajā vietā), was first registered on 1 July 2021,[6] before the party itself was established at a founding congress on 14 August in Riga.[7] The party was registered by the Latvian Register of Enterprises on 10 September 2021.[8]

History

In June 2021, businessman, the former Minister of Transport and Minister of Economy, former member of parliament, former vice-mayor of Riga, Ainārs Šlesers announced that he would run in the 2022 parliamentary elections for a new party that he himself would start. On 1 July, he founded the organisation Latvia – First.[9]

The founding party congress was held in Riga on 14 August 2021. Jūlija Stepaņenko was elected to chair the party board, as well as to be the party's candidate for the role of President of Latvia. Ainārs Šlesers became the party's candidate for the Prime Minister's seat, and former MP Linda Liepiņa was chosen as the party's candidate for Speaker of the Saeima.[9]

Right after the founding party congress, LPV announced its support for the 18 August protest against 'compulsory' vaccination organized by the Law and Order party. The protest was announced in response to the government bill that would make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for those working in healthcare, social-care, and education sectors and give employers the right to fire unvaccinated people.[10] An hour before the start of the protest, LPV organized an election rally near the Freedom Monument, the crowd of several hundred party supporters then headed to the Riga Castle, where the main event took place.[11]

The party subsequently organized two more protests against 'mandatory' vaccination on 18 September and 2 October. During the September protest, the party leaders unveiled an ultimatum to the President of Latvia Egils Levits, asking him to stop restricting people's freedoms, save 'voluntary' vaccination, and change the government.[12] Levits was given two weeks to satisfy the demands, and, if not, the party promised to recall the President. Even though none of the demands were met after two weeks, no initiative on recalling Levits has been announced; instead, on 2 October, the party organized another protest near the Freedom Monument.[13]

The party temporarily had two deputies in the Saeima – Jūlija Stepaņenko and Ļubova Švecova. Both were elected from the list of the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" in the 2018 Saeima elections. During Russia's invasion of Ukraine on March 4, 2022, both were expelled from the party, because Stepaņenko, the party's chairman of the board, protested the party's extended board meeting to discuss the party's attitude to the war in Ukraine and its consequences in Latvia. On March 3, Švecova did not vote in the Saeima to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country for the European Union.[14]

Members of the Honor to serve Riga party ran as candidates on the party ticket for the 2022 election.[15]

Election results

Legislative elections
Election Party leader Performance Rank Government
Votes  % ± pp Seats +/–
2022 Ainārs Šlesers 57,033 6.31 New
9 / 100
 New 6th Opposition

References
  1. Spalvēns, Raivis (10 September 2021). "Reģistrēta partija 'Latvija pirmajā vietā'; ģenerālsekretāra amatā iecelts Cimdars". delfi.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  2. "Latest party ratings see New Unity, National Alliance gathering momentum in Latvia". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. "September party ratings suggest voters are starting to wake up". eng.lsm.lv. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  4. "Latvia". Europe Elects. 2021.
  5. "Partijas 'Latvija pirmajā vietā' premjera kandidāts būs Šlesers, Valsts prezidenta amata kandidāte – Stepaņenko". LETA (in Latvian). DELFI. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  6. "Biedrība "Latvija - pirmajā vietā"" (in Latvian). Latvian Register of Enterprises. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  7. "Notiks Šlesera partijas "Latvija pirmajā vietā" dibināšanas kongress". LETA (in Latvian). TV NET. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. "LATVIJA PIRMAJĀ VIETĀ". www.firmas.lv (in Latvian). 10 September 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  9. Māris, Klūga (14 August 2021). "Šlesera partijas "Latvija pirmajā vietā" Valsts prezidenta amata kandidāte būs Jūlija Stepaņenko". LETA (in Latvian). Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. "Compulsory vaccination in Latvia: who and when?". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  11. "Thousands protest against 'compulsory' vaccination in Rīga". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  12. "Vairāk nekā 1000 protestētāju izsaka ultimātu Levitam" [More than 1000 protesters express an ultimatum to Levits]. Neatkarīga Rīta Avīze (in Latvian). 18 September 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  13. "Rīgā notiks Šlesera plānotā protesta akcija" [A protest event is planned in Riga]. Skaties (in Latvian). 2 October 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  14. "No Šlesera partijas izslēdz Stepaņenko un Švecovu". www.lsm.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  15. "Latvia". Europe Elects. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
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