Latvijas Nacionālās Neatkarības Kustība

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Latvijas Nacionālās Neatkarības Kustība ( LNNK, Latvian National Independence Movement ) was a political organization in Latvia from 1988 to the mid-1990s.

It formed in 1988 as a radical wing of the Latvian independence movement. Unlike the more moderate Latvian Popular Front , which originally demanded more autonomy for Latvia within the Soviet Union , the LNNK insisted from the beginning on restoring independence. Einars Repše and Juris Dobelis were among the leaders of the organization.

After Latvian independence, the LNNK transformed into a national- conservative political party. In the parliamentary elections in 1993 it won 15 out of 100 seats and was an influential opposition party. It was not until June 1994 that the LNNK was officially registered as a political party and on this occasion changed its name to Latvijas Nacionāli konservatīvā partija (Latvian National Conservative Party), but kept the already established abbreviation LNNK. At the international level, the party cooperated with the British Conservatives and the Norwegian Høyre .

In 1994 the LNNK won the local elections in Latvia's capital, Rīga , but quickly lost its popularity. The party Tēvzemei ​​un Brīvībai (TB; "For Fatherland and Freedom"), founded in 1993 , which also had its origins in the Latvian independence movement and was right-wing, campaigned for a similar constituency as LNNK, but was more radical, more principled, less pragmatic and flexible than LNNK. However, the positions of the two parties were essentially the same, especially on the important question of citizenship law. However, the LNNK had two different wings: while the conservative members advocated cooperation with TB (some also took part in collecting signatures for stricter citizenship law), the liberals in the party tended more towards Latvijas Ceļš (LC).

On the occasion of the election for the 6th Saeima in 1995, LNNK entered into an electoral alliance with the Latvian Greens ( Latvijas Zaļā partija ), which alone could hardly have exceeded the 5 percent hurdle. In addition, even before the election, they agreed on a declaration of intent for a joint government coalition with the Peasant Union (LZS), Christian Democrats (KDS) and the Democratic Party of Latgale. Tēvzemei ​​un Brīvībai was also invited, but was not one of the signatories. LNNK still only got 6.3% of the vote and lost almost half of their parliamentary seats. After the election, LC, TB, LNNK, LZS, KDS and the more left-wing Saimnieks Democratic Party (DPS) and the Party of Unity of Latvia (LVP) formed a “ rainbow coalition ” under the non-party Prime Minister Andris Šķēle . In June 1997, TB and LNNK finally merged to form Tēvzemei ​​un Brīvībai / LNNK . After a government reshuffle in August of the same year, Guntars Krasts of the LNNK became the new Prime Minister.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Marja Nissinen: Latvia's Transition to a Market Economy. Political Determinants of Economic. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke (Hampshire) / New York 1999, p. 118.
  2. ^ Marja Nissinen: Latvia's Transition to a Market Economy. Political Determinants of Economic. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke (Hampshire) / New York 1999, p. 119.
  3. ^ Marja Nissinen: Latvia's Transition to a Market Economy. Political Determinants of Economic. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke (Hampshire) / New York 1999, pp. 119-120.
  4. ↑ Thomas Schmidt: The Latvian Saeima between continuity and change. In Susanne Kraatz, Silvia von Steinsdorff: Parliaments and system transformation in post-socialist Europe. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2002, pp. 220–246, on p. 240.