Latvia will maintain its European Parliament election on 8 June. Daunis Auers writes the marketing campaign has been dominated by a string of scandals which have hit the ruling New Unity alliance.
This text is a part of a collection on the 2024 European Parliament elections. The EUROPP weblog will even be co-hosting a panel dialogue on the elections at LSE on 6 June.
In early Could 2024 Latvia celebrated 20 years of membership within the European Union. There was a lot debate on the financial advantages of entry to the only market in addition to the structural and cohesion funds which have remade Latvia’s core infrastructure, rural areas and concrete surroundings.
On the identical time there was additionally some rueful dialogue on why Latvia considerably lags economically behind its Baltic neighbours Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia’s ageing however nonetheless influential former President Vaira Vīķe Freiberga, who has positioned herself because the ethical conscience of the nation, went as far as to state that with out the EU, Latvia would have gone the way in which of Belarus.
As a substitute, Latvia is readying for its fifth European Parliament election on 8 June. This election was anticipated to be dominated by the warfare in Ukraine. In spite of everything, Latvia has a 284-kilometre border with Russia in addition to a 173-kilometre border with Belarus and has been the goal of direct and oblique navy, cyber and hybrid threats from Russia since regaining sovereign independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in August 1991.
Kariņš’ plans derailed
Nevertheless, a lot of the media’s consideration has as a substitute centered on the dominant New Unity (JV, EPP Group) get together, which has been hit by a string of scandals which might be more likely to hit its recognition, and share of seats, within the European Parliament election in addition to the probably selection of European Commissioner following the vote.
The most important scandal centred round Krišjānis Kariņš, who grew to become the primary Prime Minister in Latvia’s historical past to serve a full four-year time period of workplace in October 2022. His governing JV get together then swept to victory within the October 2022 parliamentary election and returned Kariņš to the Prime Minister’s workplace on the head of a brand new three-party governing coalition.
In June 2023 Kariņš’ favoured candidate for President, JV’s long-serving International Minister Edgars Rinkēvics, was elected to the publish by Latvia’s parliament. Then a number of months later Kariņš swapped the Prime Minister publish for the International Minister place to leverage his shut relationship along with his successor as Prime Minister, Evika Siliņa (JV), to seal the nomination for the Latvian European Commissioner publish.
Nevertheless, Latvia’s present long-serving Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis (JV) nonetheless hoped to be reappointed for a 3rd time period, continuously citing his affect because the efficient present quantity two within the European Fee’s hierarchy (he holds the influential Govt Vice President of the European Fee for An Financial system that Works for Individuals place and can be European Commissioner for Commerce).
Nevertheless, Kariņš’ European plans started to crumble in November 2023 as media reviews on his intensive use of personal jets started to appear. A State Auditor’s report, stating that lots of the flights had been illegal and a waste of taxpayers’ cash, compelled Kariņš’ resignation.
Though he returned to parliament and enthusiastically threw himself into European political campaigning, he’s a much-reduced determine. Dombrovskis is now anticipated to be renominated for the Latvian Commissioner’s publish, regardless of different JV scandals involving unproven allegations of illicit get together financing and makes an attempt to affect election outcomes which have been vigorously denied by get together officers.
Russia’s warfare on Ukraine
JV’s struggles have offered competing events with loads of marketing campaign materials. Nevertheless, the warfare in Ukraine has impacted the election. First, Latvia’s border with Russia has not been closed and each individuals and items have continued to stream in each instructions.
A latest investigation discovered that manganese ore has continued to maneuver by way of Latvian ports and into Russia, the place it has been used within the manufacturing of navy tools. Latvia can be the most important whisky provider to Russia whereas Russian grain has additionally continued to maneuver by way of Latvian ports. This has raised questions in regards to the EU’s commerce and sanctions insurance policies.
Second, equally to different European international locations, Latvia’s farmers took to the streets initially of the 12 months to protest towards the EU’s Inexperienced Deal in addition to some Latvia particular calls for equivalent to lowering VAT to five% for fruit and veggies “particular to Latvian agriculture”. Because of this, campaigning events have put the defence of Latvia’s farmers and rural areas on the coronary heart of get together programmes.
Third, the 2 years for the reason that begin of the warfare have additionally seen Latvia undertake an intensive and far-reaching programme of de-Russification and de-Sovietisation. Russian-speaking public colleges are being phased out, the Riga municipality has renamed the Pushkin Lyceum because the Riga Broce Lyceum (after the enlightenment period Baltic German Johann Christof Broce), renamed Pushkin Avenue and eliminated a Pushkin statue from a central Riga park.
The Conservatives Get together (KP) guess on the publics’ help for de-russification and named Liāna Langa, a divisive Latvian writer who has spearheaded the de-Russification motion in Latvia for the final two years, as its main candidate within the European Parliament elections in 2024. The liberal For! (Renew Europe) get together responded to the battle by naming Ivanna Voločija, a Ukrainian who additionally holds Belgian citizenship, as its lead candidate.
On the identical time, Tatjana Ždanoka (Latvia’s Russian Union, LKS), one among Latvia’s longest serving MEPs, has been accused of being a Russian agent following a leak of her non-public electronic mail correspondence to Latvian journalists, and has been barred from standing within the election. Professional-Russian speaker events, equivalent to Concord Social Democracy (SSD, S&D group), have been sending coded messages of help for Russia to its Russian-speaking citizens, by way of slogans equivalent to “For Peace and Safety” (standing for “peace” is interpreted as supporting Russia in Latvia).
Different salient EU-related points embrace securing financing for the fast-escalating prices of the Rail Baltic venture (a north-south railway axis which is able to hyperlink the Baltic states and Poland by way of a brand new greenfield European gauge rail line), the EU’s new Defence Industrial Technique and future enlargement (to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia).
Newest polling
Belief within the European Parliament (and within the EU normally) is considerably larger in Latvia than belief in home establishments. Latvians have tended to help mature, skilled politicians in European elections, usually believing that they’re finest positioned to help diffuse Latvian nationwide pursuits.
Because of this, it’s no shock that the Nationwide Alliance (NA, European Conservatives and Reformists Group), whose marketing campaign is led by a Vice-
President of the European Parliament, Roberts Zīle (an MEP since 2004), JV and SSD (each with equally skilled line-ups of candidates) lead the polling. The Progressives Get together (PRO, Greens/EFA), the populist Latvia First Get together (LPV) and the rural-conservative United Checklist (AS) are additionally polling across the 5% barrier wanted to win seats within the European Parliament.
Impression on home politics
All eyes shall be on the efficiency of JV’s Kariņš within the election. If he fares badly and isn’t elected to the European Parliament, or appointed to the Fee, he would possibly take offence on the lack of political help from his get together and ponder breaking away from JV. Some JV parliamentary deputies could also be tempted to observe him and depart the federal government with a wafer-thin parliamentary majority.
Observe: This text offers the views of the writer, not the place of EUROPP – European Politics and Coverage or the London College of Economics. Featured picture credit score: European Union