Latvian Association of Regions

{{Infobox political party

| name = Latvian Association of Regions

| logo = 150px

| colorcode = {{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}

| abbreviation = LRA

| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|13 March 2014}} {{small|(alliance)}}
{{start date and age|df=yes|29 August 2020}} {{small|(party)}}

| ideology = Regionalism{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/latvia.html|title=Latvia|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|first=Wolfram|last=Nordsieck|year=2018|access-date=6 April 2019}}

| headquarters = Riga, Mazā Smilšu iela 12–3, LV-1050

| international =

| merger = Regional Alliance
For Ogre Municipality

| country = Latvia

| native_name = Latvijas Reģionu apvienība

| youth_wing =

| position = Centre{{cite web|author1=University College London|title=Latvia's elections: Can there be harmony without Harmony?|url=http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/2014/10/08/latvias-elections-can-there-be-harmony-without-harmony/|website=UCL SSEES Research Blog|publisher=University College London|access-date=21 February 2017|date=8 October 2014}}

| national = United List

| european =

| europarl =

| colours = {{color box|#9D1D32|border=darkgray}} Maroon
{{color box|{{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}|border=darkgray}} Navy blue

| seats1_title = Saeima

| seats1 = {{Composition bar|7|100|{{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| seats2_title = European Parliament

| seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|8|{{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| seats3 = {{Infobox political party/seats|2|60|{{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| seats3_title = Riga City Council

| membership_year = 2019

| membership = {{increase}} 2,000 {{cite web |url=http://latvijasregionuapvieniba.lv/par-mums/|access-date=5 April 2019 |language=lv|title=Latvijas Reģionu Apvienība. Stipri reģioni. Stipra Latvija. Apvieniba.lv - Apvieniba.lv - Latvijas Reģionu Apvienības partijas oficiālā mājas lapa }}

| website = [https://apvieniba.lv/ apvieniba.lv]

| seats4 = {{Infobox political party/seats|7|43|{{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| seats4_title = Mayors

}}

The Latvian Association of Regions or Latvian Regional Alliance ({{langx|lv|Latvijas Reģionu apvienība}}, LRA) is a centrist{{Cite web | url=http://latvijasregionuapvieniba.lv/par-mums/ |title = Par mums - Latvijas Reģionu Apvienība}} political party in Latvia.

It was founded as an alliance on 13 March 2014 and is headed by former Unity MP Edvards Smiltēns.

History

The alliance won 8 seats in the Saeima at the 2014 parliamentary election.{{Cite web | url=http://sv2014.cvk.lv/index_rez.html?lang=1 | title=12.Saeimas vēlēšanas}} It contested the elections as a political alliance of several smaller regionalist parties, including the {{Ill|Regional Alliance (Latvia)|lt=Regional Alliance|lv|Reģionu alianse}}, the LSDSP, the Christian Democratic Union and the {{Ill|Vidzeme Party|lv|Vidzemes partija}}. The first leader of the LRA was Mārtiņš Bondars until stepping down and leaving the alliance in 2017, after which he was succeeded by Nellija Kleinberga.{{cite news|title=Leading politician quits Regional Alliance|url=http://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/leading-politician-quits-regional-alliance.a261336/|access-date=December 24, 2017|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|date=March 20, 2018}}{{cite news|title=Leader of Latvian Association of Regions announces his departure|url=https://bnn-news.com/leader-of-latvian-association-of-regions-announces-his-departure-176645|access-date=December 24, 2017|publisher=Baltic News Network|date=March 20, 2018}}

In the lead up to the 2018 elections, the LSDSP and the Christian Democrats left the alliance, which eventually fell just short of the 5% barrier at the polls. An even closer result came in the 2019 European Parliament elections, where the LRA lacked 0.02 percent to reach the minimum threshold of votes needed for gaining a seat.

On 22 August 2020, two of the parties making up the alliance – For Ogre Municipality ({{Langx|lv|Ogres novadam}}) and the Regional Alliance voted to reorganize LRA into a single political party. The other members – the Vidzeme Party and three NGOs voted to continue as affiliated cooperation partners under the LRA banner.{{Cite web|last=Anstrate|first=Vita|date=2020-08-22|title=Latvijas Reģionu apvienība pārtapusi partijā|trans-title=The Latvian Association of Regions has become a party|url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/latvijas-regionu-apvieniba-partapusi-partija.a371430/|access-date=2020-09-03|website=www.lsm.lv|language=lv}}

In May 2022 the LRA formed a united list for the 2022 Saeima elections together with the Latvian Green Party (former ZZS member), the Liepāja Party (former ZZS partner) and an upcoming political NGO led by Liepāja construction contractor Uldis Pīlēns.{{Cite web |title=Task of LRA, LZP and Liepāja Party is to change Latvia's status as weakest link of Baltic chain - Pīlēns |url=https://www.leta.lv/eng/regions/news/item/615E6106-75D1-49AB-84B5-F3C43251B074/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=LETA |language=en}} The interim name of the ticket was reported as "United List of Latvia" or "Latvia United List" ({{Langx|lv|Latvijas apvienotais saraksts}}) (previously "Power of Regions" (Reģionu spēks) was suggested).{{Cite web |title=Uldis Pīlēns wants to save Latvia with the formula that saved Liepāja 25 years ago |url=https://neatkariga.com/politics/380574-uldis-pilens-wants-to-save-latvia-with-the-formula-that-saved-liepaja-25-years-ago |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526071443/https://neatkariga.com/politics/380574-uldis-pilens-wants-to-save-latvia-with-the-formula-that-saved-liepaja-25-years-ago |url-status=usurped |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=neatkariga.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-06-13 |title=Latvian Green Party leaves Union of Greens and Parties |url=https://bnn-news.com/latvian-green-party-leaves-union-of-greens-and-parties-235426 |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Baltic News Network - News from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia |language=en-US}} The NGO led by Pīlēns scheduled its founding event for July 1st and announced that it would be called Apvienotais Latvijas saraksts or the United List.{{Cite web |title=Piektdien dibinās Pīlēna iniciēto biedrību "Apvienotais Latvijas saraksts" |url=https://www.liepajniekiem.lv/zinas/sabiedriba/piektdien-dibinas-pilena-inicieto-biedribu-apvienotais-latvijas-saraksts/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=liepajniekiem.lv |language=lv}}

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 ! +/–
2014 \| align=left\| Mārtiņš Bondars \| 60,812 \| 6.71 \| New \| {{Composition bar\|8\|100\|hex={{party color\|Latvian Association of Regions}}}} \| New \| 5th \| {{no2\|Opposition}}
2018 \| align=left rowspan=3\| Edvards Smiltēns \| 35,018 \| 4.17 \| {{decrease}} 2.54 \| {{Composition bar\|0\|100\|hex={{party color\|Latvian Association of Regions}}}} \| {{decrease}} 8 \| {{decrease}} 8th \| {{no\|Extra-parliamentary}}
rowspan="2"\| 2022{{efn\|Run as part of United List, coalition of LRA, LZP and LP.}} \| rowspan="2"\|100,631 \| rowspan="2"\|11.14 \| rowspan="2"\|{{increase}} 6.97 \| rowspan="2"\|{{Composition bar\|7\|100\|hex={{party color\|Latvian Association of Regions}}}} \| rowspan="2"\|{{increase}} 7 \| rowspan="2"\|{{increase}} 3rd \| {{yes2\|Coalition}} (2022-2023)
{{no2\|Opposition}} (2023-)

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

! +/–

2014

| align=left| Mārtiņš Bondars

| 60,812

| 6.71

| New

| {{Composition bar|8|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| New

| 5th

| {{no2|Opposition}}

2018

| align=left rowspan=3| Edvards Smiltēns

| 35,018

| 4.17

| {{decrease}} 2.54

| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| {{decrease}} 8

| {{decrease}} 8th

| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}

rowspan="2"| 2022{{efn|Run as part of United List, coalition of LRA, LZP and LP.}}

| rowspan="2"|100,631

| rowspan="2"|11.14

| rowspan="2"|{{increase}} 6.97

| rowspan="2"|{{Composition bar|7|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Association of Regions}}}}

| rowspan="2"|{{increase}} 7

| rowspan="2"|{{increase}} 3rd

| {{yes2|Coalition}} (2022-2023)

{{no2|Opposition}} (2023-)

=European Parliament elections=

class=wikitable style=text-align:center
Election ! List leader ! Votes ! % ! Seats ! +/– ! EP Group
2014 \| Mārtiņš Bondars \| 11,035 \| 2.5 (#3) \| {{Composition bar\|0\|8\|hex={{party color\|Latvian Association of Regions}}}} \| New \| rowspan=3 \|–
2019 \| Edvards Smiltēns \| 23,581 \| 5.01 (#7) \| {{Composition bar\|0\|8\|hex={{party color\|Latvian Association of Regions}}}} \| {{steady}} 0
2024{{efn\|The United List list won 1 seat, that went to an independent}} \| Reinis Pozņaks \| 42,551 \| 8.27 (#4) \| {{Composition bar\|0\|9\|hex={{party color\|Latvian Association of Regions}}}} \| {{steady}} 0

class=wikitable style=text-align:center

Election

! List leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

! +/–

! EP Group

2014

| Mārtiņš Bondars

| 11,035

| 2.5 (#3)