New Unity Unveils Candidate Leaders for 15th Saeima Elections; Ašeradens as PM Candidate

The political alliance "New Unity" (JV) on Wednesday presented the leaders of its candidate lists for the 15th Saeima elections in five electoral districts. The Riga list will be headed by Baiba Braže, followed by Arvils Ašeradens, Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Andrejs Judins, and Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica. The list also includes Beata Jonite from "Centra Marta" and Nikola Krištopāne, daughter of MP Vilis Krištopāns.

The Latgale list will be led by Rihards Kozlovskis, followed by Alīna Gendele, Anna Rancāne, Sergejs Maksimovs, and Jaroslavs Volkovs. The Kurzeme list is headed by Inga Bērziņa, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Jānis Neimanis, Eva Kārkliņa, and Kārlis Strautiņš. The Vidzeme list is led by Evika Siliņa, followed by Hosams Abu Meri, Ainars Latkovskis, Raimonds Čudars, and Jānis Skrastiņš. The Zemgale list is headed by Edmunds Jurēvics, Mārtiņš Limanskis, Mārtiņš Felss, Mārtiņš Deģis, and Jānis Reirs.

Prime Minister Candidate

JV's candidate for prime minister is former Finance Minister and Saeima deputy Arvils Ašeradens. He stated that JV is ready to work with "all democratic and state-responsible parties" and will not form a coalition with populist or Russia-oriented political forces. Ašeradens emphasized that the party's duty is to protect Latvia from the rising wave of populism together with other state-minded parties.

Priorities and Program

JV has identified national security as its most important task, pledging to guarantee defense funding at 5% of GDP and to develop a permanent NATO presence in Latvia. The program includes strengthening the eastern border, increasing the capacity of internal services, and additional support for the National Guard.

In the economy, the goal is to achieve at least 3.5% GDP growth per year and increase investment to over 30% of GDP. The party promises fiscally responsible budget policy, keeping external debt below 55% of GDP. Plans include raising the minimum wage and tax-free minimum, as well as reducing administrative burdens for businesses.

In healthcare, the alliance commits to funding of at least 6% of GDP. The program also includes the development of quality education, fair teacher salaries, strengthening the use of the state language, and support for regional development and a family-friendly environment. Modernization of public administration with a focus on achievable and measurable results is also planned.

The official lists and program will be submitted to the Central Election Commission on July 2 at 2 PM. Candidate list submission began on June 20 and will continue until July 5. The 15th Saeima elections are scheduled for early October.