On October 16th Latvijas attīstībai members met at a party meeting where election results were discussed and future strategies discussed. The party board decided that the party congress will take place on December 2022, new party board will be elected as well as three new co-chairs.
In many ways, our results at the 14th Saeima election could be considered historic, as it was the first time in the electoral history of Latvian when political force lacked just 250 votes to get to the 5% threshold and to get elected to the national parliament. When discussing election results Latvijas attīstībai members expressed that during the new parliament party should focus on working in municipalities and European Parliament. Exactly, the European Parliament election will be the next time when the electorate will have a vote. Representatives of regional branches reiterated that even though better results were expected, the real results united members even more to work on electoral successes in upcoming elections.
“Our team was active and professional, our PM candidate Artis Pabriks – bright and convincing. Nevertheless, the electorate voiced their thoughts and we have no other choice but to accept them. Our membership has plenty of internal energy and belief in our goal – this empowers us to continue our journey in Latvian politics. This country still needs a modern, pro-European and liberal political force, that will be able to introduce necessary reforms. Taking into account that the next governing coalition will be right-wing and conservative, the demand for our ideas in the next four years will only increase,” co-chair of Latvijas attīstībai and MEP from Renew Europe Ivars Ijabs reiterated when addressing party members during the meeting.
Latvijas attīstībai is represented by five heads of municipalities – Leons Līdums in the Aizkraukle district, Vita Paulāne in the Ropažu district, Madars Lasmanis in the Jelgavas district, Andris Vaivods in the Līvānu district and Māris Jūsts in the Varakļānu district, together with other municipal councilors in 24 districts across the country. This makes Latvijas attīstībai a stable political force with an electoral base across the country.
“We shouldn’t concentrate too much on Saeima election results. One and a half years ago, the election results in the municipal election were great. Hence, we will continue our work with the highest sense of responsibility. We as a party have a responsibility to show our achievements not just ideas because our party has a long history and in the next election will surpass 10 years mark. Now municipal and the European Parliament teams are the ones that have to increase the number of positive achievements,” party co-chair and municipal councilor in Cēsis district Elīna Stapulone told.
Looking in retrospect to our achievements in 13th Saeima, members specifically reiterated Administrative-territorial reform that will foster economic growth in the next decades, increase the defense budget to 2,5% of GDP, create of internationally recognized deposit system, and work towards the promotion of an energy independence of Latvia and proportion of renewable in future. The military security of the country in the next decade will also be tremendously increased by the establishment of the National Defense Service, a project of which was headed by Artis Pabriks and his Defence ministry.
Latvijas attīstībai is a political party, that wants to talk about real propositions, that there is a real possibility to implement. Nearly all elections have seen political parties that come up with ideas that are simply impossible to implement, and the life of such political parties is usually one election cycle. We, on the other hand, have proved that we are capable of implementing those reforms that we have promised. We will continue to do it everywhere, where there are our elected officials, and I am conceived that this will be valued even if we wouldn’t promise “palaces of light”,” co-chair of the party, and Minister of environmental protection and regional development Artūrs Toms Plešs is convinced.
Meeting, which was attended by more than 100 Latvijas attīstībai members it was decided to create a working group under Aivars Osītis, Mārupe district councilor. The working group was tasked with preparing propositions for party strategy for the upcoming party congress that will take place in December. Regarding prospects and scope of cooperation and the status of Attīstībai/Par! as a party alliance all three alliance parties will take decisions once new boards of every party will be elected.
