National Alliance (Latvia)

It was founded as an electoral alliance in 2010 by the national-conservative For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK and the far-right All for Latvia! after the two parties were refused entry into the Unity alliance.{{cite news |last1=Kaža |first1=Juris |title=Who is who in upcoming Latvian parliamentary elections |url=https://en.rebaltica.lv/2018/08/who-is-who-in-upcoming-latvian-parliamentary-elections/ |access-date=17 August 2018 |work=Re:Baltica |date=14 August 2018}}{{cite web |last=Greenhalgh |first=Nathan |url=http://balticreports.com/?p=18512 |title=Unity forgoes merging with far-right |date=31 May 2010 |publisher=Baltic Reports |access-date=8 November 2018}} The loose alliance was transformed into a unitary party on 23 July 2011.{{cite news |url=http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/29032/ |title=Latvian political parties undergo major upheaval |newspaper=The Baltic Times |date=12 July 2011 |access-date=18 July 2011}} In the 2010 Latvian parliamentary election, the alliance won 8 seats. As part of the outgoing government, it was involved in negotiations after the election to renew the coalition but was vetoed by the Society for Political Change,{{cite news |last=Strautmanis |first=Andris |title=Veto ousts nationalists from new government; 2 parties remain in talks |url=https://latviansonline.com/veto-ousts-nationalists-from-new-government-2-parties-remain-in-talks/ |date=25 October 2010 |publisher=Latvians Online |access-date=18 July 2011}} which had not been part of the government but had joined the Unity alliance.

In May 2011, the party supported the re-election of Valdis Zatlers in the 2011 Latvian presidential election.{{cite news |title=Supporters line up behind Zatlers |url=http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/28698/ |newspaper=The Baltic Times |date=18 May 2011 |access-date=23 May 2011}} The alliance became a single united party on 23 July 2011. At the 2011 Latvian parliamentary election, the National Alliance won fourteen seats, an increase of six on the previous year, making it the fourth-largest party in the Saeima. After extensive negotiations with an aim to avoid Kremlin supporting powers from gaining seats in government,{{cite web|title=Raivis Dzintars: triju latvisko partiju koalīcija ir reāla|url=http://www.kasjauns.lv/lv/zinas/58919/raivis-dzintars-triju-latvisko-partiju-koalicija-ir-reala|access-date=8 November 2018|website=Kasjauns.lv}}{{cite news|date=24 September 2011|title=Reboot in Riga|newspaper=The Economist|url=http://www.economist.com/node/21530161|access-date=15 September 2011}} it joined a centre-right government with Unity and Zatlers' Reform Party, with the party's Gaidis Bērziņš as Minister for Justice and Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grende as Minister for Culture.

On 23 August 2013, theAll for Latvia! wing of National Alliance signed the Bauska Declaration together with the Conservative People's Party of Estonia and Lithuanian Nationalist and Republican Union calling for a new national awakening of the Baltic states and warning about perceived threats posed by cultural Marxism, "postmodernistic multiculturalism", "destructive liberalism", and Russian imperialism.{{cite web |url=https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/valodas/bauska-declaration/ |url-status=dead |title=Bauska Declaration |publisher=National Alliance |date=23 August 2013 |access-date=8 November 2018 |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127005300/https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/valodas/bauska-declaration/ }} The merging period of the two founding parties was ended on the National Alliance's third congress on 7 December 2013, finally creating one unitary party.{{Cite web |url=http://www.focus.lv/latvija/politika/nacionala-apvieniba-apvienosies-viena-partija |title=Nacionālā apvienība apvienosies vienā partijā un cer kļūt par valdošo partiju nākamajā Saeimā | Jaunākās Ziņas Latvijā |website= Focus.lv |access-date=19 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331092704/http://www.focus.lv/latvija/politika/nacionala-apvieniba-apvienosies-viena-partija |archive-date=31 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.ir.lv/2013/12/8/nacionala-apvieniba-apvienosies-viena-partija |title=Ir – Nacionālā apvienība apvienosies vienā partijā |access-date=19 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000806/http://www.ir.lv/2013/12/8/nacionala-apvieniba-apvienosies-viena-partija |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}

In the 2014 Latvian parliamentary election, the party gained 17 seats and entered a centre-right coalition, along with Unity and the Union of Greens and Farmers under Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma.{{cite news|date=5 November 2014|title=Latvian Saeima approves of the new Straujuma government|newspaper=The Baltic Course|url=http://www.baltic-course.com/eng2/analytics/?doc=98567|access-date=12 November 2014}} The party succeeded to include several points in the Declaration of the government and coalition treaty, such as to begin gradual Latvianization of the bilingual educational system starting from 2018; to limit the residence permit acquisition programme established in 2010, increase state support to family values and the demography programme; to make national identity, Latvian language, and Latvian culture as a priority as it is defined in the Constitution of Latvia; opening of natural gas market in order to end the Gazprom monopoly in the Latvian energy market; veto rights to any decision which could weaken the positions of the Latvian language.{{cite web |last=Lāns |first=Arnolds |url=http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/na-panaktais-koalicijas-liguma-un-valdibas-deklaracija/ |title=NA panāktais koalīcijas līgumā un valdības deklarācijā |publisher=National Alliance |date=2014-01-22 |access-date=2018-11-08 |archive-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113165956/https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/na-panaktais-koalicijas-liguma-un-valdibas-deklaracija/ |url-status=dead }}

After the 2018 Latvian parliamentary election, in which the party won 13 seats, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš was tasked by Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis with forming the next government following the failures of previous nominees Bordāns and Gobzems in a contentious negotiation process.{{Cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/krisjanis-karins-nominated-to-be-latvias-next-prime-minister.a304989/|title=Krišjānis Kariņš nominated to be Latvia's next Prime Minister|date=7 January 2019|publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia|language=en|access-date=7 May 2019}} Kariņš took office as prime minister on 23 January 2019, leading a broad centre-right coalition of five conservative and liberal parties (Kariņš cabinet) that included National Alliance, along with Development/For!, New Conservative Party, Kariņš' Unity, and Who Owns the State? parties.

The National Alliance is a national-conservative party,{{cite web|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|year=2018|title=Latvia|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/latvia.html|access-date=6 April 2019|website=Parties and Elections in Europe}} as well as socially conservative.{{cite web|title=Detail|url=https://www.bti-project.org/en/reports/country-reports/detail/itc/lva/|access-date=8 November 2018|website=Bti-project.org|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305055108/https://www.bti-project.org/en/reports/country-reports/detail/itc/lva/|url-status=dead}} It has also been described as right-wing populist or nationalist,{{cite journal|last1=Bogushevitch|first1=Tatyana|last2=Dimitrovs|first2=Aleksejs|date=November 2010|title=Elections in Latvia: status quo for minorities remains|url=http://www.ecmi.de/fileadmin/downloads/publications/JEMIE/2010/Latvia_Elections.pdf|url-status=dead|journal=Journal on Ethnopolitics and Minority Issues in Europe|volume=9|issue=1|pages=72–89|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923233128/http://www.ecmi.de/fileadmin/downloads/publications/JEMIE/2010/Latvia_Elections.pdf|archive-date=23 September 2015|access-date=19 September 2011}} and placed on the right-wing,{{cite news|date=18 September 2011|title=Pro-Russia party wins most votes in Latvia election|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14962617|access-date=15 September 2011}}{{cite web|last=Ijabs|first=Ivars|date=October 2018|title=2018 Parliamentary Elections in Latvia|url=http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/baltikum/14739.pdf|publisher=Friedrich Ebert Foundation|access-date=2 October 2022}} or radical right,{{cite book |last1=Auers |first1=Daunis |last2=Kasekamp |first2=Andres |chapter=Comparing Radical-Right Populism in Estonia and Latvia |title=Right-Wing Populism in Europe: Politics and Discourse |publisher=Bloomsbury |place=London/New York |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-78093-343-6 |pages=235–248}}{{Cite journal |last1=Braghiroli |first1=Stefano |last2=Petsinis |first2=Vassilis |date=2019-08-08 |title=Between party-systems and identity-politics: the populist and radical right in Estonia and Latvia |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2019.1569340 |journal=European Politics and Society |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=431–449 |doi=10.1080/23745118.2019.1569340 |hdl=10062/64608 |s2cid=159411323 |issn=2374-5118|hdl-access=free }} of the political spectrum.{{Cite news |last=Fairclough |first=Gordon |date=2012-02-18 |title=Language Vote Refuels Latvia Tension |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204059804577229323458664002.html |access-date=2022-08-31 |issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite news |last=Martyn-Hemphill |first=Richard |date=2015-12-07 |title=Latvia Government Falls as Prime Minister Quits |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/world/europe/latvian-prime-minister-resigns-after-less-than-two-years.html |access-date=2021-11-13 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Rettman|first=Andrew|date=26 May 2019|title=Turnout up in Slovakia, with pro-EU liberals scoring high |url=https://euobserver.com/eu-political/144990 |access-date=2022-08-31 |website=EUobserver |language=en}} In its platform, the party lists its core priorities as protecting Latvian language, culture, and heritage. An economically liberal party,{{cite news|author=E. L.|date=18 September 2011|title=Snap election falls flat|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2011/09/latvias-indecisive-election|access-date=15 September 2011}} it takes a pro-West stance in foreign policy, supports economic reform to promote business competition, and calls for a "non-taxable minimum pension" for all citizens.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/programma/|title = Nacionālās apvienības VL-TB/LNNK programma}} In 2021, the party submitted to the Saeima a draft law regarding an amendment to the Constitution, which intended to strictly define the concept of family as a union of a male and a female person.{{Cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/saeima/national-alliance-wants-constitution-of-latvia-to-strictly-define-family.a388009/|title = National Alliance wants Constitution of Latvia to strictly define 'family'}}

It has taken right-wing populist positions,{{cite news|last=Pausch|first=Robert|date=4 February 2015|title=Populismus oder Extremismus? – Radikale Parteien in Europa|url=http://www.zeit.de/feature/populismus-extremismus-europa|access-date=28 April 2017|newspaper=Die Zeit}}{{cite book|last=Wodak|first=Ruth|title=Right-Wing Populism in Europe: Politics and Discourse|publisher=A&C Black|year=2013|page=246}} and it actively opposes immigration, both the residence permit selling programme and the refugee quota system intended by the European Union (EU), emphasizing the already large number of Soviet-era settlers in Latvia.{{cite web |url=http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/ne-beglu-kvotam/ |title=NĒ – bēgļu kvotām |publisher=Nacionalaapvieniba.lv |date=28 May 2015 |access-date=8 November 2018 |archive-date=20 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120101252/https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/ne-beglu-kvotam/ |url-status=dead }} It has compared the modern advocates of immigration with those who supported the planned mass immigration to the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, which affected the demographics of Latvia, such as the expansion of the Russian-speaking minority.{{cite web |url=https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/l/en/the-new-pro-migrant-propaganda-is-just-like-the-old-one/ |last=Eglājs |first=Ritvars |title=The new pro-migrant propaganda is just like the old one |publisher=National Alliance |access-date=8 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606201129/https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/l/en/the-new-pro-migrant-propaganda-is-just-like-the-old-one/ |archive-date=6 June 2022}}

In parallel to its national-conservative rhetoric, the National Alliance has denounced ethnic nationalism, notably expelling former Mārupe City Council MP Raivis Zeltīts from the party for his alleged past involvement in online ethnonationalist and white supremacist forums.{{Cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/senior-national-alliance-figure-apologises-for-cloud-of-far-right-messages.a338044/ |title=Senior National Alliance figure apologises for "cloud" of far-right messages |date=12 November 2019 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |accessdate=28 November 2019}} Party leader Raivis Dzintars has instead endorsed a vision of cultural nationalism, including stating in an interview to the Delfi news agency prior to the 2022 Latvian parliamentary election: “We have always been and will be for a Latvian Latvia, but we will never divide our citizens by their ethnicity or ancestry. What we care about is people’s values, language, culture – The National Alliance has had Latvians of various ethnic backgrounds in our ranks, and that is exactly the way it should be.” {{Cite web|url= https://www.delfi.lv/video/raidijumi/nakamais-ludzu/nacionala-apvieniba-nakamais-ludzu-apmaldijusies-okupanti-un-tukss-laiks-parlamenta.d?id=54741000|title= Nacionālā apvienība 'Nākamais, lūdzu!': 'apmaldījušies okupanti' un 'tukšs laiks' parlamentā|date=15 September 2022 |publisher=Delfi (web portal) |accessdate=10 November 2023}}

The party was the only one of the leading coalition partners that completely refused both the refugee quota system, as well as voluntary acceptation of refugees.{{cite web |url=https://bnn-news.com/majority-latvian-politicians-refugee-quotas-129618 |title=Majority of Latvian politicians are against refugee quotas |date=29 May 2015 |publisher=Baltic News Network |agency=LETA |access-date=8 November 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/latvian-government-adopts-position-on-refugees.a146130/ |title=Latvian government adopts position on refugees |date=17 September 2015 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=8 November 2018}} In August 2015, the party took part in organizing the massive anti-immigration rally in Rīga.{{cite web |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/nationalists-plan-anti-refugee-protest.a138404/ |title=Nationalists plan anti-refugee protest |date=15 July 2015 |publisher=Public Broadcasting of Latvia |access-date=8 November 2018}}

This anti-immigration position was accented in the annual foreign affair debates in the Saeima, also turning against perceived liberal immigration policy and political correctness in the EU.{{cite web |url=https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/l/en/latvia-has-the-duty-to-save-europe-from-drowning-in-the-swamp-of-political-correctness-national-alliances-opinion-in-debates-about-annual-report-on-foreign-policy-2016/ |title=Latvia has the duty to save Europe from drowning in the swamp of political correctness - National Alliance's opinion in debates about annual report on foreign policy 2015 |access-date=8 November 2018 |publisher=National Alliance |archive-date=20 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320054143/https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/l/en/latvia-has-the-duty-to-save-europe-from-drowning-in-the-swamp-of-political-correctness-national-alliances-opinion-in-debates-about-annual-report-on-foreign-policy-2016/ |url-status=dead }}

The party supports the establishment of a national day of remembrance for the Latvian Legion, a mostly conscription-based military formation within Nazi Germany's Waffen-SS, arguing that they were not Nazis but rather martyred liberation fighters resisting both the Soviet and Nazi occupations, who were later acquitted at the Nuremberg trials. The Saeima has rejected proposals by the National Alliance to formally establish it as a holiday in 2013, 2018, and 2019.{{Cite web |title=Saeima did not make March 16 a national commemoration day |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/32674/ |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=baltictimes.com}}{{Cite web |last=LETA |date=2018-03-15 |title=Saeima rejects National Alliance's proposal to make 16 March an official remembrance day |url=https://bnn-news.com/saeima-rejects-national-alliance-s-proposal-to-make-16-march-an-official-remembrance-day-181858 |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=Baltic News Network |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=National Alliance repeats March 16 memorial request |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/politics/politics/national-alliance-repeats-march-16-memorial-request.a310737/ |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=eng.lsm.lv |language=en}} MPs from the National Alliance are regular participants in the annual commemoration events for the Latvian Legion.{{Cite web |date=2016-03-02 |title=Many MPs from Latvian National Alliance to participate in March 16 events |url=https://www.baltic-course.com/eng/baltic_news/?doc=16204 |access-date=2023-01-28 |website=The Baltic Course}}

In foreign policy, the party wants to participate in what it calls the "Western geopolitical space". It supports Latvian membership of NATO. The party takes a Eurosceptic, or what they describe as Eurorealist, stance towards the EU, by opposing bureaucracy and centralization of powers around Brussels, arguing that the EU should be limited to a trading block as opposed to a bureaucratic political organization, and that member states must work to fight crime and defend European culture together but not impose on domestic decision making and political sovereignty of nations, and abandon what the party calls the EU's "everything for all" approach.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/programma/plasa-programma/arpolitika/|title=Ārpolitica|website=Nacionālā apvienība VL-TB/LNNK|access-date=1 October 2022|archive-date=20 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520140253/https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/programma/plasa-programma/arpolitika/|url-status=dead}}

Following Brexit, the National Alliance stated that the UK's decision must be respected and the country needs to remain an important ally of Europe and Latvia, and that the EU must not retaliate against Britain and instead pursue a free trade agreement with Britain.

Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the party has taken a pro-Ukrainian position and suggested a stricter anti-Kremlin position for the Latvian government,{{cite web |url=http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/jana-dombravas-runa-saeimas-ikgadejas-arlietu-debates-parstavot-na-frakcijas-viedokli/ |title=Jāņa Dombravas runa, Saeimas ikgadējās ārlietu debatēs pārstāvot NA frakcijas viedokli |publisher=Nacionalaapvieniba.lv |date=2014-01-23 |access-date=8 November 2018 |archive-date=4 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504032107/http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/jana-dombravas-runa-saeimas-ikgadejas-arlietu-debates-parstavot-na-frakcijas-viedokli/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/edvins-snore-edso-pa-nosoda-krievijas-agresiju-un-aicina-ukrainai-sniegt-militaru-palidzibu/ |title=Edvīns Šnore EDSO PA nosoda Krievijas agresiju un aicina Ukrainai sniegt militāru palīdzību |publisher=National Alliance |date=2015-02-23 |access-date=8 November 2018 |archive-date=24 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324160226/http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/aktualitate/edvins-snore-edso-pa-nosoda-krievijas-agresiju-un-aicina-ukrainai-sniegt-militaru-palidzibu/ |url-status=dead }} as well as the Council of Europe.{{cite news |url=https://www.baltictimes.com/we_must_strongly_support_ukraine_and_the_observation_of_international_law_-_murniece/ |title=We must strongly support Ukraine and the observation of international law - Murniece |newspaper=The Baltic Times |date= 26 October 2019 |access-date=10 November 2019}}

{{Portal|Conservatism}}

• List of political parties in Latvia

• {{cite book |last1=Auers |first1=Daunis |last2=Kasekamp |first2=Andres |chapter=Comparing Radical-Right Populism in Estonia and Latvia |title=Right-Wing Populism in Europe: Politics and Discourse |publisher=Bloomsbury |place=London/New York |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-78093-343-6 |pages=235–248}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/ Official website] {{in lang|en|lv|ru}}
• [https://www.nacionalaapvieniba.lv/l/en/shortfilm-latwis-mission-national-alliance/ Short film "Latwis" about the mission of the National Alliance] {{in lang|en|lv}}

{{Latvian political parties}}

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Category:Political parties in Latvia

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