A situation when candidates are selected by the biggest faction and leading party, and when the most popular politicians are selected – is no joke or performance in wait for the “real” candidate, because it is an issue of political reputation, says politologist and public relations specialist Filips Rajevskis.
He is confident that Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs has a good chance of being elected president. BY betting on their most popular politician, New Unity demonstrates they are prepared to fight for him, and he is a very serious candidate, said Rajevskis. “There will be a campaign and other parties that have not presented their own candidates have to be convinced,” he said.
Looking at it from the perspective of the party, Rinkēvičs becoming president would be a mark of prestige.
In a long-term perspective, however, Unity would lose one of its most popular politicians,
because he will no longer be able to participate as one of the party’s leaders in the next Saeima elections, the politologist said.
When asked what kind of changes in the government could come if Rinkēvičs is elected as president, the expert said
they will have to look for a different minister of foreign affairs, and it is highly likely this ministry will not remain under Unity.
The National Alliance will likely express the most interest for it.
As previously reported, the Combined List political party has selected businessman and their party’s founder Uldis Pīlēns as their presidential candidate. The Progressive party, on the other hand, selected “public management expert” Elīna Pinto as theirs.
Latvia’s President Egils Levits, meanwhile, has decided not to run for re-election.
Presidential elections will be held in the Saeima on the last day of May.
Also read: New Unity selects Edgars Rinkēvičs as their presidential candidate in Latvia