Valainis Says He Won't Leave Politics After ZZS Election Defeat

Latvia's Economics Minister Viktors Valainis of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) does not plan to leave politics after his party's failure in the 15th Saeima (parliament) elections. He said so on Monday on the TV3 programme "900 Seconds". ZZS did not win seats in parliament, which has put the party's future leadership and strategy in question.

"I am not ready to walk away from politics at this moment," Valainis said. In his view, leaving would not be a responsible step.

Responsibility to voters and members

Valainis said he fully accepts responsibility for the election result and is ready to discuss the party's future work with its members. He explained his decision to stay by pointing to his duty to more than 30,000 voters who backed ZZS, as well as to the trust of party members.

Congress and new leadership

The politician said the Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS), which is part of the ZZS alliance, is preparing for a congress. Local branches are holding meetings to re-elect their leadership and nominate candidates for the next party board, and regional conferences are planned before the congress.

The LZS congress could take place in late January or early February. Afterwards, new representatives are to be delegated to the ZZS board, which will decide on the alliance's future strategy and on restoring voters' trust.

Asked whether the board might resign before the congress, Valainis said the LZS board has already decided to take full responsibility for the election result and to convene a congress. According to him, both LZS and ZZS will have new leadership.

Future work

Valainis stressed that until a new government is approved, his duty is to continue working as economics minister. He will consider his personal career plans once his ministerial duties end.