On Saturday 15 May, Latvijas attīstībai, ALDE member party in Latvia, held its first digital congress where it elected its new party leadership ahead of important local elections.

Municipal elections will take place on 5 June and will be the first since the reforms to local government that were passed in the Saeima. Latvijas attīstībai will contest in these elections in 27 municipalities (out of 41) with more than 500 candidates, and launched their election campaign at the Congress symbolically titled "Latvia's development is not only Riga".

Convening virtually, party members approved changes to the party’s statutes and elected a three-member co-chairmen team comprising Ivars Ijabs, Member of the European Parliament, Artūrs Toms Plešs, Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, and Elīna Stapulone, the Priekuļi County Council Chairman.

Addressing the congress, Mr Ijabs said: “We are happy and proud of our people in the regions, who fill our principle ‘Latvia is not just Riga’ with content every day. From our lists, 509 candidates will run in the elections, 10 of them are the current heads of their local governments.”

Mr Plešs added: “we are holding the first digital congress today, clearly showing that the Covid-19 pandemic does not prevent us from making important decisions. What's more, we are aware of the importance of digital solutions in Latvia's future development and are able to successfully apply them in practice.”

Mrs Stapulone praised and emphasised the involvement of regional leaders in the party's decision-making, and said: “I hope the slogan of this year's campaign - Latvia is not just Riga! - it not just for this year, but will become the motto of our party and work.”

You can learn more and follow the campaign at attistibai.lv/pasvaldibu-velesanas-2021