New Era Party
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New Era Party (Jaunais Laiks) is a conservative political party in Latvia.
It was founded in 2001 by Einars Repše. In 2002 election campaign, New Era promised to combat corruption and tax evasion. According to New Era promises, eliminating tax evasion would increase Latvia's state budget by 400 million lats (about 750 million US dollars), allowing to increase funding for a variety of programs and cut taxes. New Era program also included right-wing reforms in health care and education, such as replacing government-funded higher education by student loans.
At the last legislative elections, 5 october 2002, the party won 23.9 % of the popular vote and 26 out of 100 seats, becoming the largest party in Saeima, the parliament of Latvia. It formed a coalition government with 3 other parties, with the New Era leader Einars Repše as the prime minister. In January 2004, the coalition fell apart and Repse resigned.
New Era was in the opposition until October 2004, when it joined a coalition government lead by Aigars Kalvitis. It left the coalition after a vote-buying scandal in Jurmala municipal elections which involved one of its coalition partners, Latvia First Party. New Era Party first requested Latvia's First Party to leave the coalition. After Latvia's First Party and the prime minister Aigars Kalvitis refusing this demand, all New Era ministers resigned on April 13, 2006.
The chairman of the New Era parliamentary faction is Karlis Sadurskis, former minister for Education and Science.
In the European Parliament, New Era is a part of the European People's Party.
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Template:Euro-party-stub Template:Latvia-stubde:Jaunais Laiks fr:Parti de la nouvelle ère lv:Jaunais laiks