Unity (Latvian political party)

Not to be confused with Latvian Unity Party.
Unity
Vienotība
President Andris Piebalgs
Chairperson Jānis Rozenbergs
General Secretary Artis Kampars
Founded 2010 (2010) (electoral alliance)
6 August 2011 (2011-08-06) (party)
Merger of New Era Party,
Civic Union,
Society for Other Politics
Headquarters Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics Boulevard 12-3 Riga LV-1050
Youth wing Vienotības Jaunatnes organizācija[1]
Ideology Liberal conservatism[2]
Pro-Europeanism
Political position Centre-right
European affiliation European People's Party[3]
International affiliation None
European Parliament group European People's Party
Colours Green
Saeima
23 / 100
European Parliament
4 / 8
Website
http://www.vienotiba.lv/

Unity (Latvian: Vienotība) registered as Latvian: Partija "VIENOTĪBA" Party "UNITY" is a liberal-conservative[2] political party in Latvia. It is currently the largest party of the centre-right in Latvian politics and was the leading party in the Dombrovskis and Straujuma cabinets from its inception in 2010 until February 2016. Unity is a member of the European People's Party (EPP). It remains the largest parliamentary party in the Kučinskis cabinet.

The party was founded as an electoral alliance of the New Era Party, Civic Union, and the Society for Political Change on 6 March 2010. It was reportedly founded in a bid to form a counterweight to the left-wing Harmony Centre alliance,[4] which had been strengthening in polls and elections, while the other right-wing parties (People's Party, For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK and LPP/LC) were below the electoral threshold of 5%.[5]

On 6 August 2011 the alliance was transformed into a single political party.[6]

Its president is Andris Piebalgs, former European Commissioner.[7] The current Prime Minister is from the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), but Unity and ZZS each hold 5 ministerial portfolios in the 2016-2018 government. For the 2014 general election, Unity announced an electoral pact with the Reform Party, which was followed by a full absorption in March 2015.[8]

Election Results

Parliament (Saeima)

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/–
2010 301,424 31.9
33 / 100
 Increase 15
2011 172,567 18.8
20 / 100
 Decrease 13
2014 199,535 21.9
23 / 100
 Increase 3

European Parliament

Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/–
2014 204,979 46.2 (#1)
4 / 8

References

  1. ↑ Vienotiba/Youth, Unity (www.vienotiba.lv), retrieved on 13 March 2015
  2. 1 2 "Parties and Elections in Europe, "Latvia", The database about parliamentary elections and political parties in Europe, by Wolfram Nordsieck". Parties & Elections. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. ↑ EPP/Latvia, European People's Party (www.epp.eu), retrieved on 28 March 2012
  4. ↑ Unity has potential, but faces rocky road. Latviansonline.com (14 March 2010). Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  5. ↑ Harmony Centre is Most Popular Latvian Party | Angus Reid Public Opinion. Angus-reid.com. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  6. ↑ Apollo – Ziņas: Izveidota partija «Vienotība». Apollo.lv. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "New leader of Latvia's Unity party calls for reconciliation among members, fresh start". ERR. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  8. ↑ 'Vienotība' un RP vienojas par kopīgu startu 12.Saeimas vēlēšanās, LETA, 27 December 2013, accessed 21 September 2014


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