New Era Party
Encyclopedia
The New Era Party abbreviated to JL, was a centre-right
political party in Latvia
. Founded in 2002, the party merged with Civic Union
and Society for Other Politics
to form Unity
in 2011.
New Era is a member of the European People's Party
(EPP) and its MEPs in the European Parliament
sat in the European People's Party (previously EPP-ED).
In its first election campaign, New Era promised to combat corruption and tax evasion. According to New Era promises, eliminating tax evasion would increase Latvia
's state budget
by 400 million Latvian lats
(about 750 million United States dollars), allowing for increased funding for a variety of programs and also for tax cuts. Running on this platform, the party won 23.9% of the popular vote and 26 out of 100 seats in the 2002 legislative election and became the largest party in the Saeima
, the parliament of Latvia
. It formed a coalition government
with 3 other parties, with the New Era leader Einars Repše as the prime minister. In January 2004, the coalition fell apart and Repše resigned.
New Era was in the opposition until October 2004, when it joined a coalition government led by Aigars Kalvītis
of the People’s Party. It left the coalition after a vote-buying scandal in the Jūrmala
municipal elections which involved one of its coalition partners, the Latvia's First Party. The New Era Party first requested Latvia's First Party to leave the coalition. After Latvia's First Party and prime minister Kalvītis refused this demand, all New Era ministers resigned on 13 April 2006. In the October 2006 parliamentary elections, the New Era party won 18 seats. After the elections it did not rejoin the coalition government. Despite its significant losses, it became the largest opposition party.
Repše has lost most of his popularity, due to a sequence of scandals, but remains one of the party leaders. In March 2007, the party established a new structure, in which it had two leaders: Einars Repše and Arturs Krisjanis Karins
. Arturs Krisjanis Karins is a United States citizen, born in the United States to a Latvian family.
In 2008, prominent MPs and members of the board – Ina Druviete
, Karlis Sadurskis, Ilma Cepane and Sandra Kalniete
left the New Era to create Civic Union
. Its leadership resigned, and Solvita Aboltina and Artis Kampars became new leaders. The chairman of the New Era parliamentary faction is Dzintars Zakis.
In March 2009, New Era Party member Valdis Dombrovskis
, who served as finance minister from 2002 to 2004, became Prime Minister, bringing the New Era Party to the leadership of a 4-party, center-right coalition government.
On 6 August 2011, it merged with two other parties to form the new political party Unity
.
leanings and derives most of its appeal from positioning itself as the main anti-corruption force in Latvian politics. New Era supporters characterize most of the other political parties as corrupt and controlled by oligarch
s. As a result, New Era has very strained relations with most of the other political parties, which make a considerable effort to leave New Era in opposition whenever possible.
On ethnic issues, New Era tends to be somewhat nationalist. Its economic positions are uncertain and have changed over time. Its original platform in 2002 included radical free-market reforms in health care and education, such as replacing government-funded higher education by student loans.
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
political party in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. Founded in 2002, the party merged with Civic Union
Civic Union (Latvia)
The Civic Union was a Latvian political party. It was founded in 2008 and most of its members came from the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK and New Era Party. It has been described as centre-right or right-wing....
and Society for Other Politics
Society for Other Politics
The Society for Political Change , abbreviated to SCP, was a social liberal political party in Latvia founded on 6 September 2008. Its members include two former ministers, former foreign minister Artis Pabriks and former economics minister Aigars Štokenbergs; its first president was economist...
to form Unity
Unity (Latvia)
Unity is a Latvian centre-right political party, founded as an electoral alliance of the New Era Party, the Civic Union and the Society for Other Politics on 6 March 2010...
in 2011.
New Era is a member of the European People's Party
European People's Party
The European People's Party is a pro-European centre-right European political party. The EPP was founded in 1976 by Christian democratic parties, but later it increased its membership to include conservative parties and parties of other centre-right perspectives.The EPP is the most influential of...
(EPP) and its MEPs in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
sat in the European People's Party (previously EPP-ED).
History
New Era was founded on 2 February 2002 by Einars Repše, a politician and central banker who was very popular at that time. Originally, most of the party candidates were political unknowns led by Repše.In its first election campaign, New Era promised to combat corruption and tax evasion. According to New Era promises, eliminating tax evasion would increase Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
's state budget
Budget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
by 400 million Latvian lats
Latvian lats
The lats is the currency of Latvia. It is abbreviated as Ls. The lats is sub-divided into 100 santīmi ....
(about 750 million United States dollars), allowing for increased funding for a variety of programs and also for tax cuts. Running on this platform, the party won 23.9% of the popular vote and 26 out of 100 seats in the 2002 legislative election and became the largest party in the Saeima
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
, the parliament of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. It formed a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with 3 other parties, with the New Era leader Einars Repše as the prime minister. In January 2004, the coalition fell apart and Repše resigned.
New Era was in the opposition until October 2004, when it joined a coalition government led by Aigars Kalvītis
Aigars Kalvitis
Aigars Kalvītis is a Latvian politician, former Prime Minister of Latvia and current Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Balzams....
of the People’s Party. It left the coalition after a vote-buying scandal in the Jūrmala
Jurmala
Jūrmala is a city in Latvia, about 25 kilometers west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River...
municipal elections which involved one of its coalition partners, the Latvia's First Party. The New Era Party first requested Latvia's First Party to leave the coalition. After Latvia's First Party and prime minister Kalvītis refused this demand, all New Era ministers resigned on 13 April 2006. In the October 2006 parliamentary elections, the New Era party won 18 seats. After the elections it did not rejoin the coalition government. Despite its significant losses, it became the largest opposition party.
Repše has lost most of his popularity, due to a sequence of scandals, but remains one of the party leaders. In March 2007, the party established a new structure, in which it had two leaders: Einars Repše and Arturs Krisjanis Karins
Arturs Krišjanis Karinš
Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš is a Latvian politician.Kariņš was born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States in a Latvian American family. In 1996, he finished a Ph.D. in linguistics from University of Pennsylvania...
. Arturs Krisjanis Karins is a United States citizen, born in the United States to a Latvian family.
In 2008, prominent MPs and members of the board – Ina Druviete
Ina Druviete
Ina Druviete was the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia in 2004-2006.Ina Druviete graduated from the University of Latvia in 1981 with a degree in the Latvian language and literature. Her first political party was Communist Party of the Soviet Union...
, Karlis Sadurskis, Ilma Cepane and Sandra Kalniete
Sandra Kalniete
Sandra Kalniete is a Latvian politician, author, diplomat and independence movement leader. She served as Foreign Minister of Latvia 2002–2004 and as European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries in 2004...
left the New Era to create Civic Union
Civic Union (Latvia)
The Civic Union was a Latvian political party. It was founded in 2008 and most of its members came from the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK and New Era Party. It has been described as centre-right or right-wing....
. Its leadership resigned, and Solvita Aboltina and Artis Kampars became new leaders. The chairman of the New Era parliamentary faction is Dzintars Zakis.
In March 2009, New Era Party member Valdis Dombrovskis
Valdis Dombrovskis
Valdis Dombrovskis is the Prime Minister of Latvia. He previously served as Latvia's Minister of Finance and as a Member of the European Parliament for the New Era Party.-Education and science career:...
, who served as finance minister from 2002 to 2004, became Prime Minister, bringing the New Era Party to the leadership of a 4-party, center-right coalition government.
On 6 August 2011, it merged with two other parties to form the new political party Unity
Unity (Latvia)
Unity is a Latvian centre-right political party, founded as an electoral alliance of the New Era Party, the Civic Union and the Society for Other Politics on 6 March 2010...
.
Ideology
The New Era Party has strong populistPopulism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
leanings and derives most of its appeal from positioning itself as the main anti-corruption force in Latvian politics. New Era supporters characterize most of the other political parties as corrupt and controlled by oligarch
Business oligarch
Business oligarch is a near-synonym of the term "business magnate", borrowed by the English speaking and western media from post-Soviet parlance to describe the huge, fast-acquired wealth of some businessmen of the former Soviet republics during the privatization in Russia and other post-Soviet...
s. As a result, New Era has very strained relations with most of the other political parties, which make a considerable effort to leave New Era in opposition whenever possible.
On ethnic issues, New Era tends to be somewhat nationalist. Its economic positions are uncertain and have changed over time. Its original platform in 2002 included radical free-market reforms in health care and education, such as replacing government-funded higher education by student loans.