Election losses force New Unity and ZZS to rethink their future

New Unity and the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) will review their political direction after a poor performance in parliamentary elections, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reports. New Unity lost most of its seats, while ZZS failed to enter parliament for the first time.

The results have left both parties facing questions about their campaign decisions and their wider political course. Both have long been part of Latvia’s political system, helped form governments and taken responsibility for the country’s direction, but the election showed that voter support cannot be taken for granted.

“Everyone has to think for themselves about whether everything possible was done. Responsibility is deeply individual,” said ZZS board member Augusts Brigmanis.

New Unity member Ainars Latkovskis called the result “a substantial defeat” and said the party had to climb out of a hole. Board member Edmunds Jurēvics said New Unity had “got a four on the exam” and could not be satisfied with the result.

New Unity fell from 26 seats in the previous parliamentary election to seven. The party will have to determine whether voters rejected particular leaders, the government’s work and its decisions, or no longer see the party itself as offering a convincing choice. A change of leadership could be a first step, but the article says the party may also need to reconsider its priorities, communication and how it explains decisions to the public.

ZZS faces a different challenge: after years in parliament, it has now failed to win representation there for the first time. The result raises questions about whether its existing political model can appeal to voters beyond its traditional support regions.