Latvia First
{{Short description|Latvian political party}}
{{distinguish|Latvia's First Party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox political party
| name = Latvia First
| native_name = Latvija pirmajā vietā
| logo = Logo Latvia First.svg
| logo_size = 125
| colorcode = {{Political party data|color}}
| abbreviation = LPV
| chairperson = Ainārs Šlesers
| secretary_general =
| headquarters = Mūkusalas iela 41, Riga
| founders = Ainārs Šlesers
Jūlija Stepaņenko
Linda Liepiņa
Ļubova Švecova
Vilis Krištopans
| founded = {{start date and age|2021|08|14|df=y}}
| ideology = Nationalism{{cite news|work=Baltic Times|title=“Latvia – the first!” MP Ricards Slesers: “We want to unite the nation, not to divide it”|quote=“Latvija Pirmaja Vieta” (“Latvia – the first!”), a nationalistically-inclined party|date=20 January 2023|url=https://www.baltictimes.com/_latvia___the_first___mp_ricards_slesers___we_want_to_unite_the_nation__not_to_divide_it_/}}
National conservatism{{cite book|publisher=College of Eastern Europe in Wrocław|title=Local populists or Russian agents of influence? The strength of pro-Kremlin influence in the Baltics|page=5|quote=The national-conservative and right-wing populist political party LPV – Latvia First|url=https://www.kew.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Local-populists-or-russian-agents.pdf}}
Right-wing populism
| position = Right-wing
| european = ECPM (2024-2025){{Cite web|url=https://ecpm.info/members-and-associates.html|title=ECPM: Our members and associates|website=ecpm.info|access-date=2024-06-09}}
Patriots.eu (since 2025)
| europarl = Patriots for Europe{{cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/07/08/far-right-patriots-group-springs-to-third-force-in-european-parliament|title=Far-right Patriots group springs to third force in European Parliament|work=Euronews|date=2024-07-08|accessdate= }}
| colours = {{color box|{{party color|Latvia First}}|border=darkgray}} Burgundy
| membership = 499 (2021 {{estimation}}){{Cite web|url=https://www.delfi.lv/a/53571767|title=Reģistrēta partija 'Latvija pirmajā vietā'; ģenerālsekretāra amatā iecelts Cimdars|last=Spalvēns|first=Raivis|website=delfi.lv|access-date=2021-09-10|date=2021-09-10|language=lv}}
| seats1_title = Saeima
| seats1 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ms-lower-house}}
| seats2_title = European Parliament
| seats2 = {{Political party data|seat composition bar|ep}}
| website = {{Political party data|website}}
| country = Latvia
}}
Latvia First ({{langx|lv|Latvija pirmajā vietā}}, LPV) is a right-wing populist{{Cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/latest-party-ratings-see-new-unity-national-alliance-gathering-momentum-in-latvia.a457305/|title=Latest party ratings see New Unity, National Alliance gathering momentum in Latvia|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|date=2022-05-18|access-date=2022-05-18}} political party in Latvia.{{Cite web|date=2021-10-06|title=September party ratings suggest voters are starting to wake up|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/september-party-ratings-suggest-latvian-voters-are-starting-to-wake-up.a424332/|access-date=2021-11-23|website=eng.lsm.lv}}{{cite web|date=2021|title=Latvia|url=https://europeelects.eu/latvia/|publisher=Europe Elects}}
It was founded in August 2021 by businessman and former member of parliament, former Minister of Transport, former vice-mayor of Riga, Ainārs Šlesers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/partijas-latvija-pirmaja-vieta-premjera-kandidats-bus-slesers-valsts-prezidenta-amata-kandidate-stepanenko.d?id=53488403|title=Partijas 'Latvija pirmajā vietā' premjera kandidāts būs Šlesers, Valsts prezidenta amata kandidāte – Stepaņenko|work=LETA|publisher=DELFI|language=lv|date=14 August 2021|access-date=14 August 2021}} The party board chair is Ainārs Šlesers. The precursor to the party, the organisation Latvia — First ({{langx|lv|Latvija — pirmajā vietā}}), was first registered on 1 July 2021,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ur.gov.lv/lv/legal-entity/?id=40008308560|title=Biedrība "Latvija - pirmajā vietā"|date=July 2021 |publisher=Latvian Register of Enterprises|language=lv|access-date=14 August 2021}} before the party itself was established at a founding congress on 14 August in Riga.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvnet.lv/7315298/notiks-slesera-partijas-latvija-pirmaja-vieta-dibinasanas-kongress|title=Notiks Šlesera partijas "Latvija pirmajā vietā" dibināšanas kongress|work=LETA|publisher=TV NET|language=lv|date=14 August 2021|access-date=14 August 2021}} The party was registered by the Latvian Register of Enterprises on 10 September 2021.{{Cite web|date=2021-09-10|title=LATVIJA PIRMAJĀ VIETĀ|url=https://www.firmas.lv/profile/latvija-pirmaja-vieta/40008310156|access-date=2021-12-07|website=www.firmas.lv|language=lv}}
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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/slesera-partijas-latvija-pirmaja-vieta-valsts-prezidenta-amata-kandidate-bus-julija-stepanenko.a416932/|title=Šlesera partijas "Latvija pirmajā vietā" Valsts prezidenta amata kandidāte būs Jūlija Stepaņenko|last=Māris|first=Klūga|work=LETA|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|language=lv|date=14 August 2021|access-date=14 August 2021}}
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.
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.{{Cite web|title=Compulsory vaccination in Latvia: who and when?|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/health/compulsory-vaccination-in-latvia-who-and-when.a413534/|access-date=2021-12-07|website=eng.lsm.lv}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Thousands protest against 'compulsory' vaccination in Rīga|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/thousands-protest-against-compulsory-vaccination-in-riga.a417560/|access-date=2021-12-07|website=eng.lsm.lv}}
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.{{Cite web|date=18 September 2021|title=Vairāk nekā 1000 protestētāju izsaka ultimātu Levitam|trans-title=More than 1000 protesters express an ultimatum to Levits|url=https://nra.lv/latvija/riga/358116-fotoreportaza-vairak-neka-1000-protestetaju-izsaka-ultimatu-levitam-papildinats-plkst-15-45.htm|access-date=7 December 2021|website=Neatkarīga Rīta Avīze|language=lv}} 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.{{Cite web|date=2 October 2021|title=Rīgā notiks Šlesera plānotā protesta akcija|trans-title=A protest event is planned in Riga|url=https://skaties.lv/zinas/latvija/sabiedriba/riga-notiks-slesera-planota-protesta-akcija/|access-date=7 December 2021|website=Skaties|language=lv}}
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. The party advocates for closer economic ties to Russia.{{cite web |title=The Russia-Ukraine War and Right-Wing Populism in Latvia |url=https://www.populismstudies.org/the-russia-ukraine-war-and-right-wing-populism-in-latvia/ |website=populismstudies.org |access-date=23 January 2025}}
During Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 4 March 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 3 March, Švecova did not vote in the Saeima to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country for the European Union.{{Cite web |title=No Šlesera partijas izslēdz Stepaņenko un Švecovu. |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/no-slesera-partijas-izsledz-stepanenko-un-svecovu.a446449/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=www.lsm.lv |language=lv}}
Members of the Honor to serve Riga party ran as candidates on the party ticket for the 2022 election.{{Cite web |title=Latvia |url=https://europeelects.eu/latvia/ |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=Europe Elects}}
Election results
=Legislative elections=
| class=wikitable style=text-align:right |
| rowspan=2 |Election
! rowspan=2 |Party leader ! colspan=5 |Performance ! rowspan=2 |Rank ! rowspan=2 |Government |
|---|
| Votes
! % ! ± pp ! Seats ! +/– |
| 2022
| align=left |Ainārs Šlesers | 57,033 | 6.31 | New | {{Composition bar|9|100|hex={{party color|Latvia First}}}} | New | 6th | {{no2|Opposition}} |
= European Parliament elections =
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://latvijapirmajavieta.lv/ Official website] (in Latvian and Russian)
- [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=latvija%20pirmaj%C4%81%20viet%C4%81 Facebook page] (in Latvian)
- [https://www.facebook.com/LatvijaPirmajaVietaRu Facebook page] (in Russian)
{{Latvian political parties}}
{{European Christian Political Movement}}
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