New Party (Latvia)
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2001 (New Christian Party)
New Party Jaunā partija | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | JP |
| Leader | Guntis Dišlers (last) |
| Founder | Raimonds Pauls |
| Founded | 1997 (New Party) 2001 (New Christian Party) |
| Dissolved | May 2002 |
| Succeeded by | Latvia's First Party |
| Ideology | Christian democracy |
| Political position | Centre to centre-right |
| Colours | Navy blue, yellow |
The New Party (Latvian: Jaunā partija, JP) was a centrist political party in Latvia.[1][2] Formed by composer Raimonds Pauls, the party won eight seats in the Saeima at the 1998 election on the back of Pauls's popularity.[3] After the election, the JP entered into a minority government with Latvian Way and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK.
In the June 1999 presidential election, the party nominated Pauls for the presidency, and Pauls came first after five ballots, but withdrew his candidacy, as he still couldn't receive more than a third of the votes.[4] The party dropped out of the governing coalition the following month, when it was replaced by the People's Party under new PM Andris Šķēle.[5] In May 2000, it entered the centre-right governing coalition. However, Pauls left the party to become an independent MP in August 2000, leading to its influence declining.[6] The party dissolved after Pauls's departure, with a third of its MPs joining the new Latvia's First Party.[7]
