On the eve of Ligo (Latvian folk festival — approx. ed.), the President Vejonis made a gift to the people urged the Sejm to make a constitutional change that will allow you to move to the direct election of the President.
Needless to say, the idea is popular. Polls show that the majority of Latvia’s residents support it. President fanned positive aura, while the Parliament is perceived as a bunch of selfish and clueless politicians. Latvians are inspired by the memory of Karlis Ulmanis, Russian — contemporary figures of Putin and Lukashenko. All of this is in the dream of Owner, who will stop the party bickering and begin to take care of people.
With what childlike enthusiasm in 2011, masses of people went to vote in the referendum for the dissolution of Parliament initiated by then President Valdis Zatlers! There was an atmosphere of national celebration. Nobody cared to political causes and consequences, people are just genuinely happy that the President gave a good kick to the MPs, ie, behaved as the real Owner.
It begs the well-known phrase of Lenin: “People always were and always will be foolish victims of deception and self-deception in politics until they will not learn behind any moral, religious, political, social phrases, statements, promises to search for interests of those or other classes”. Maybe the word “class” in its Marxist meaning and obsolete, but the General meaning of the phrase is not outdated.
Now, about the interests. The direct election of the head of state usually take place in two stages. In the first round compete a lot of candidates, then two of the strongest go into the final. Who in Latvia can qualify for the second round?
Candidates of all three. The first is the representative of the moderate nationalists, let’s say, a conventional “Vejonis” or conditional “Aboltina”, or conditional “bonders”. The second — the representative of the radical nationalists, the conventional “Dzintars”. Today is “National Association” is a Junior partner in the ruling coalition, but direct election of the President will surely use to promote its candidate.
Finally, the third possible candidate for the finals — who will vote for Russian, conditional “Ushakov”.
In this situation (and the other not visible), the probability that the second round will clash “Dzintars” and “Ushakov”. And here, I do not doubt for a second win “Dzintars”.
In the Latvian media situation will be interpreted as a duel between patriot “Kremlin puppet”, even easier — as the fight of Latvians with Russian, and 90% of Latvians vote for “their”. Including those who never voted for radical nationalists at parliamentary or municipal elections.
Thus, the direct election of the President of open radical nationalists the way to the highest positions in the state. At least they have a real opportunity, which is absent today. Let me remind you that the original idea for the nation-wide presidential elections came from “Visu Latvijaj!”, they even tried to start a referendum on this topic.
Vejonis offered to hold presidential elections under the new scheme in 2019. To them he is likely to win. But in 2023… “National Association” already is the leader among parties according to the number of representatives in the municipalities, and this is a key administrative resource.
According to the Constitution, the President of the country can become a citizen of Latvia not younger than 40 years. Five years is not conditional, but quite real Raivis Dzintars will reach the required age limit. So, the transition to direct presidential elections can be considered a gift to the head of “National unification” last year.
In recent years, the leaders of the “Association” learned, speaking publicly, pack your radical nationalism in European politically correct shell. But sometimes they are what is called the breaks. How recently it happened with Edwin Schnoor, comparing Russian residents of Latvia with “louse, infiltrated into the coat.” The guide enterprises of his deputies fully supported.
If the national-radicals will get the highest post in the state is guaranteed to face Latvia in the Ukrainian nightmare of the civil war.
