Last Saturday 10 December, ALDE member party Latvijas Attīstībai in Latvia held its annual party congress where it elected a new party board for a two-year mandate, approved the goals and tasks for the newly elected board, approved a code of ethics, as well as heard speeches from the party leaders and debated current challenges to Latvia’s economy.

Party members at the congress elected its new leadership for a two-year term, with the role shared by Minister of Defence Artis Pabriks, Member of the European Parliament Ivars Ijabs, and economist and one of the founders of the party Juris Pūce. 

In his speech to Congress,  Pabriks said: “Latvijas Attīstībai’s three priorities must be set as the three i’s – industrialisation, innovation, and infrastructure. We have done a lot of work in the defence sector, both for our security and economy. The Ministry of Defence makes a real contribution to Latvia’s economy.”

Pūce added: “Liberalism is an infinite belief in optimism, the future, and that everything is possible for a person, as long as we do it. On the other hand, as a party, we need to renew our policy work, strengthen ourselves professionally, revitalise our work by attracting members and being open to cooperation.”

“The core of our organisation is strong, healthy, and resilient enough to overcome the wave of conservatism and extremism against the European liberal movement. Classical liberalism goes hand in hand with patriotism. Classical liberalism is liberalism with fists!” declared Ijabs.

Among the goals and tasks of the party are the establishment of a Riga branch of the party, while also strengthening the party’s other regional branches and preparing for the elections to the European Parliament in May 2024 with the ambition of electing two representatives from the party list.

Other members of the party board were also elected: Mārupe County Council Member Aivars Osītis, Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Artūrs Toms Plešs, Cēsu County Council Member Elīna Stapulone, economist Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis, Gulbene County Council Member Normunds Mazūrs, Aizkraukle County Council Chairman Leons Līdums, Riga City Council Member Viesturs Zeps and representative of the party’s youth wing “Attīstībai Youth” Katrīna Ruzaiķe. Moreover, Uldis Eglavs was re-elected as one of the three members of the party’s audit committee.

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Photo credit: Latvijas attīstībai