Alvis Hermanis on election aftermath: pleased with his ideas' impact, worried about immigration and the president
After the 15th Saeima election, "We Change the Rules" list leader Alvis Hermanis said on social media that his ideas have already reshaped Latvia's political debate, while voicing concern over immigration policy and President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
Reflecting after the election
Following Sunday's conclusion of the 15th Saeima election, several list leaders shared their first reactions on social media. Among them was Alvis Hermanis, leader of the "We Change the Rules" (MMN) list, who posted an extensive comment on Sunday evening.
Hermanis expressed regret that the voting method MMN had proposed was not adopted, saying it would have allowed a parliament containing dozens of people comparable to, or even smarter than, politician Kulbergs, including by lifting the ban on combining public offices. He stressed that MMN represented voters who look for the root causes of problems rather than merely treating their symptoms.
He noted that in the half year since MMN was founded, the list had succeeded in making reform of state administration rules — a "general clean-up" — the central theme of party rhetoric, and that MMN's ideas had also found their way into Kulbergs' regular video posts. Hermanis added that Kulbergs himself admitted in a television interview that his own list, AS, had never had a program of its own. Hermanis said MMN was not envious that others were using its ideas, and expressed hope that Kulbergs would succeed in putting the MMN program into practice.
As another notable outcome, Hermanis pointed to the diminished dominance of the JV/Pro alliance, which he described as a political force that had previously controlled the agenda but whose era he considers over.
At the same time, Hermanis voiced concern over immigration policy, warning that Kulbergs' support for bringing in low-skilled labor could become a long-term existential threat to the country. He also criticized President Edgars Rinkēvičs, arguing it had been unacceptable to expose the entire nation to security risks during wartime while leaving officials Andris Sprūds and Evika Siliņa responsible, suggesting Rinkēvičs should no longer remain in office. He closed by thanking MMN's supporters, noting that the list had at least tried to change the situation.
