Latvian Green Party

The Latvian Green Party (Latvian: Latvijas Zaļā partija, LZP) is a green political party in Latvia.[2] The party was founded on 13 January 1990, and in 2002 joined with the Latvian Farmers' Union to form the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) alliance.[5][6] Unusually for a green party in Europe, the LZP is generally considered a centre-right party.[3][4][6] In November 2019 the party was expelled from the European Green Party for its diverging ideological stances with European green parties.[7] The party held the world's first prime minister affiliated to a Green Party, Indulis Emsis (Prime Minister of Latvia in 2004), and first head of state, Raimonds Vējonis (President of Latvia 2015–19).[6]

Latvian Green Party

Latvijas Zaļā partija
LeaderRaimonds Vējonis,
Viesturs Silenieks
Founded13 January 1990
HeadquartersRiga
Membership (2017)790[1]
IdeologyGreen politics[2]
Green conservatism
Social conservatism[2]
Political positionCentre[2] to centre-right[3][4]
National affiliationUnion of Greens and Farmers
International affiliationGlobal Greens
ColoursGreen
Saeima
6 / 100
European Parliament
0 / 8
Website
zp.lv
Part of a series on
Green politics

History

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia elected in 1990 contained seven Green delegates. After the Constitution of Latvia was restored, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the election of the 5th Saeima (1993-1995) returned one Green deputy, Anna Seile, on the list of the Latvian National Independence Movement (LNNK). In the 6th Saeima (1995-1998), there were four members: Indulis Emsis, Guntis Eniņš, Jānis Kalviņš and Jānis Rāzna.

From 1993 until 1998, the Greens were part of the governing coalition with Indulis Emsis as Minister of State for Environmental Protection.[6] The LZP contested 1995 general election in an electoral list with the LNNK, but lost its parliamentary representation in the 1998 general election, which it contested in alliance with the Labour Party and Christian Democratic Union.[5]

For the 2002 parliamentary election, the party formed the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) with the Latvian Farmers' Union.[5][6] Three members of the Green party were elected: Indulis Emsis, Arvīds Ulme and Leopolds Ozoliņš. The ZZS joined a four-party center-right coalition government and was represented with three ministers, one of them from the Green party, Minister for the Environment Raimonds Vējonis.

In February 2004, after the breakdown of the four-party government, Indulis Emsis was appointed to form a new government and became the first head of government of a country anywhere in the world from a Green party.[6][8] His minority government was forced to resign in December of the same year.[6] A new coalition government led by the People’s Party took office, in which the party was again represented as part of the ZZS.

For the 2006 parliamentary election, won four seats as part of the ZZS.[5] The party remained part of the centre-right coalition government along with the People’s Party, Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way, and For Fatherland and Freedom. Party chairman and former prime minister Indulis Emsis became Speaker of the Saeima from November 2006 until September 2007.[7]

Leading politicians of the party have often supported reactionary, nationalist, and anti-LGBT positions,[9] leading to its expulsion from the European Green Party on 10 November 2019.[7]

Election results

Parliament (Saeima)
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Notes
1993 149,347 13.4
1 / 100
 [lower-alpha 1]
1995 60,352 6.3
4 / 100
 3 [lower-alpha 2]
1998 22,018 2.3
0 / 100
 4 [lower-alpha 3]
2002 93,759 9.5
3 / 100
 3 [lower-alpha 4]
2006 151,595 16.8
4 / 100
 1 [lower-alpha 5]
2010 190,025 20.1
4 / 100
 [lower-alpha 6]
2011 111,955 12.2
4 / 100
 [lower-alpha 7]
2014 178,210 19.5
6 / 100
 2 [lower-alpha 8]
  1. The LNNK list won 15 seats - 1 went to the Green Party
  2. Joint Green Party-National Conservative Party list won 8 seats.
  3. Joint list of Green Party-Workers' Party-Christian Democratic Union
  4. Union of Greens and Farmers list won 12 seats
  5. Union of Greens and Farmers list won 18 seats
  6. Union of Greens and Farmers list won 22 seats
  7. Union of Greens and Farmers list won 13 seats
  8. Union of Greens and Farmers list won 21 seats

Chairpersons

Three co-chairpersons share the leadership position at any one time. Former chairpersons of the Latvian Green Party include:

  • Oļegs Batarevskis (1990–1997)
  • Valts Vilnītis (1990–1991)
  • Juris Zvirgzds (1990–1995)
  • Gunārs Lākutis (1991–1993)
  • Pēteris Jansons (1993–1994)
  • Jānis Kalviņš (1994–1995)
  • Indulis Emsis (from 1995)
  • Rūta Bendere (1995–1996)
  • Askolds Kļaviņš (1996–2001)
  • Valdis Felsbergs (1997–2003)
  • Viesturs Silenieks (from 2001)
  • Raimonds Vējonis (from 2003)

As of 2011, chairpersons are Viesturs Silenieks and Raimonds Vējonis.

See also

References
  1. "Latvijā partijās daudzkārt mazāk biedru nekā Lietuvā un Igaunijā. Kāpēc tā?" (in Latvian). LSM.lv. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  2. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2018). "Latvia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018.
  3. FIBS Report: Central Eurasia, 1993, p. 107.
  4. Marja Nissinen: Latvia's Transition to a Market Economy: Political Determinants of Economic Reform Policy, London: Palgrave Macmillan 1998, p. 119.
  5. David J. Galbreath; Daunis Auers (2010). "Green, Black and Brown: Uncovering Latvia's Environmental Politics". In David J. Galbreath (ed.). Contemporary Environmentalism in the Baltic States: From Phosphate Springs to 'Nordstream'. Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-317-96590-9.
  6. Miranda Schreurs; Elim Papadakis, eds. (2019). Historical Dictionary of the Green Movement. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 205. ISBN 978-1-5381-1960-0.
  7. "Latvian Green Party expelled from European Green Party". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. LETA. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  8. Emilie van Haute: Green Parties in Europe, London: Routledge 2016, p. 118.
  9. Emilie van Haute: Green Parties in Europe, London: Routledge 2016, p. 119.
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