The next municipal elections will be decisive for New Unity (JV), and preparations must begin immediately, Edmunds Jurēvics, chairman of the party alliance’s parliamentary group, said on Latvian Television’s morning programme Rīta Panorāma.
He explained that the parties forming the New Unity alliance would assess the mistakes made during the parliamentary elections at their upcoming congresses and make decisions regarding new leadership.
Jurēvics repeatedly emphasised that New Unity is a European-oriented and democratic political alliance, where reviewing election performance is a normal part of the political process.
Comparing the Saeima elections to an examination, Jurēvics said that New Unity had passed with a grade of four, as it had managed to secure representation in parliament. However, he acknowledged that the election result was far from satisfactory.
At the same time, he highlighted the alliance’s representation in local governments.
According to Jurēvics, New Unity has approximately 100 municipal councillors, making it the second-largest political alliance in terms of regional representation, behind the United List.
Against this background, he stressed the importance of beginning preparations for the next municipal elections without delay.
Jurēvics also praised the alliance’s cooperation with its regional partners, describing it as very successful.
He said that even after the parliamentary elections, regional partners had confirmed their willingness to continue working with Unity.
However, Jurēvics acknowledged that the party had made several mistakes, including being too hesitant in its decision-making.
As examples, he cited the election of the Governor of the Bank of Latvia and the dismissal of Kaspars Briškens from his position as Minister of Transport.
In his view, New Unity voters understand that the party has had to accept compromises on various issues. Nevertheless, they had expected more decisive and faster action.
As previously reported, the United List secured a convincing victory in Latvia’s parliamentary elections.