View source for Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party

{{update|date=February 2023}}
{{Short description|Latvian political party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox political party
| country          = Latvia
| name             = Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party
| native_name      = Latvijas Sociāldemokrātiskā Strādnieku Partija
| colorcode        = {{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}
| logo             = Logo of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party.svg
| youth_wing       = Social Democratic Youth Union
| abbreviation     = LSDSP
| leader           = [[:lv:Jānis Dinevičs|Jānis Dinevičs]]
| founder          = [[Pauls Kalniņš]] <small>(1918)</small><br>[[:lv:Valdis Šteins|Valdis Šteins]] <small>(1989)</small>
| founded          = {{Start date and age|1918|6|17|df=yes}}<br>{{Start date and age|1989|12|2|df=yes}} <small>(refoundation)</small>
| banned           = {{Start date and age|1934|5|15|df=yes}}
| ideology         = [[Social democracy]]<ref name="Nordsieck">{{cite web|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.de/latvia.html|last=Nordsieck|first=Wolfram|title=Latvia|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008120652/http://www.parties-and-elections.de/latvia.html|year=2007|archive-date=8 October 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=7 April 2019}}</ref>
| position         = [[Centre-left]]
| national         = [[Union of Greens and Farmers]]<ref>https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/saeimas-velesanas-zemnieku-savienibas-un-lsdsp-kopigais-premjera-amata-kandidats-bus-viktors-valainis.a459588/ Saeimas vēlēšanās Zemnieku savienības un LSDSP kopīgais premjera amata kandidāts būs Viktors Valainis</ref>
| split            = [[Communist Party of Latvia|Social-Democracy of the Latvian Territory]]
| international    = [[Socialist International]] <small>(1994–2014)</small>
| european         = [[Party of European Socialists]] (observer)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pes.eu/en/about-pes/pes-members/parties |title=PES member parties &#124; PES |access-date=25 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503194245/http://www.pes.eu/en/about-pes/pes-members/parties |archive-date= 3 May 2013 }}</ref>
| slogan           = «Give a hand, together we will succeed!»<br />({{langx|lv|«Sniedz roku, kopā mums izdosies!»}})
| colours          = {{color box|{{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}|border=darkgray}} [[Maroon]]<br>{{color box|#1B3220|border=darkgray}} [[Green]]
| headquarters     = [[Riga]], Lāčplēša iela 60, LV-1011
| seats1_title     = [[Saeima]]
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|2|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[European Parliament]]
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| website          = [http://www.lsdsp.lv lsdsp.lv]
| membership_year  = 2017
| membership       = 633<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/latvija-partijas-daudzkart-mazak-biedru-neka-lietuva-un-igaunija.-kapec-ta.a262825/|title=Latvijā partijās daudzkārt mazāk biedru nekā Lietuvā un Igaunijā. Kāpēc tā?|date=2 January 2018 |access-date=1 July 2018|publisher=LSM.lv|language=lv}}</ref>
}}
{{Politics of Latvia}}
The '''Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party''' ({{langx|lv|Latvijas Sociāldemokrātiskā strādnieku partija}}, LSDSP) is a [[Social democracy|social-democratic]]<ref name="Nordsieck"/> [[list of political parties in Latvia|political party in Latvia]] and the second oldest existing Latvian political party after the [[Latvian Farmers' Union]]. It is currently represented with two seats in the [[Saeima|parliament of Latvia]] as a part of the [[Union of Greens and Farmers]] alliance after an absence of 20 years. The party tends to hold a less [[Russophilia|Russophilic]] view than the [[Social Democratic Party "Harmony"]].

==History==

=== Founding, interwar Latvia, under authoritarianism and occupation ===
The Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party was founded on 17 June 1918, by [[Menshevik]] elements who had been expelled from the [[Social Democracy of the Latvian Territory]] in 1915. Once Latvia became independent, LSDSP was one of the two most influential political parties (along with the [[Latvian Farmers' Union]]). LSDSP held 57 out of 150 seats in the [[1920 Latvian Constitutional Assembly election|1920 Constitutional Assembly]] (Satversmes Sapulce). It won the most seats in each of four [[parliamentary election]]s of that period (31 out of 100 in [[1922 Latvian parliamentary election|1922]], 33 in [[1925 Latvian parliamentary election|1925]], 26 in [[1928 Latvian parliamentary election|1928]] and 21 in [[1931 Latvian parliamentary election|1931]]). The leader of the LSDSP, [[Pauls Kalniņš]], was speaker of the Latvian parliament from 1925 to 1934.

The party itself, however, would often be in [[opposition (politics)|opposition]] because of many smaller right-wing parties forming [[coalition government]]s, typically led by the [[Latvian Farmers' Union]].

The party was a member of the [[Labour and Socialist International]] between 1923 and 1940,<ref>Kowalski, Werner. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=83QdPwAACAAJ Geschichte der sozialistischen arbeiter-internationale: 1923 - 19]''. Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985.</ref> and was admitted into the modern [[Socialist International]] in 1994.<ref name="DochertyLamb2006">{{cite book|author1=James C. Docherty|author2=Peter Lamb|title=Historical Dictionary of Socialism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRYjU-L4F7wC&pg=PT203|date=2 October 2006|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-6477-1|pages=203–}}</ref>

The LSDSP was banned after the [[1934 Latvian coup d'état|1934 coup]] by [[Kārlis Ulmanis]], together with all other political parties. Around 320 prominent members were briefly interned in the [[Liepāja]] Concentration Camp and then released. After the coup, the party loosely merged with the Latvian Communist Party from 1937 to 1940 as the [[Socialist Workers and Peasants Party of Latvia]] and went underground, only to re-emerge briefly after the Soviet occupation of 1940, nearly instantly being banned and driven underground by the Soviet and, later, Nazi occupiers. Some Social Democrats briefly collaborated with the Soviets (e.g. {{Ill|Ansis Rudevics|lv}}), however, many, including leaders {{Ill|Fricis Menders|lv}} and [[Brūno Kalniņš]], joined with other democratic politicians and called for the restoration of democratic Latvian statehood. LSDSP members, like Pauls Kalniņš and others, were involved with the [[Latvian Central Council]] resistance group.<ref>[https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/baltikum/14742.pdf Social Democracy Country Studies - ''Friedrich Ebert Stiftung'' (English summary)]</ref> When many Latvians left Latvia during [[World War II]], the LSDSP was restored as an "exile organization", operating in Sweden since 1945, and later in other Western countries.

The Swedish-based section - the LSDSP Foreign Committee (LSDSP ĀK) - managed to secure its observer status at the Socialist International during its existence.

=== Return to Latvia, activities 1990–2010 ===
When Latvia became independent again in 1991, the LSDSP returned to Latvia. In the early 1990s, it struggled with internal splits. At one point, Latvia had three social democratic parties, two of them being descendants of the LSDSP, and the third being the reformed faction of the former Communist Party of Latvia ([[Latvian Social Democratic Party|LSDP]]). Eventually, all three parties merged, under the name of the LSDSP.

The merged party enjoyed some success in the parliamentary [[1998 Latvian parliamentary election|election of 1998]], winning 14 seats out of 100; and in local elections in 2001, when one of its members, [[Gundars Bojars|Gundars Bojārs]], became the mayor of [[Riga]]. It was less successful in the [[2002 Latvian parliamentary election|next legislative election]], held on 5 October 2002, where it got only 4% of the vote, and did not make the 5% minimum to get seats. The decline of the LSDSP's popularity continued as the party lost the mayor's seat in Riga in the 2005 municipal election (keeping 7 seats in the Riga City Council but forced into the opposition). The [[2006 Latvian parliamentary election|parliamentary election of 2006]] brought even more dissatisfying results for the LSDSP, as the party got 3.5% of votes and thus got no representation in the parliament once again.

=== 2010–present ===
For the [[2010 Latvian parliamentary election|2010 parliamentary election]], the LSDSP formed the [[Responsibility – Social Democratic Alliance of Political Parties|Responsibility Alliance]] with smaller parties, but their performance was poor, receiving less than 1% of the vote. In January 2011, {{Ill|Aivars Timofejevs|lv|Aivars Timofejevs}}, who was supported by the outgoing leader {{Ill|Jānis Dinevičs|lv|Jānis Dinevičs}}, was elected as party chairman. He defeated [[Ansis Dobelis]], who was more aligned with youth activist circles and later formed [[The Progressives (Latvia)|The Progressives]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Egle |first=Ināra |date=2011-01-31 |title=Sociāldemokrātu vecā gvarde notur varu |url=https://www.diena.lv/raksts/sodien-laikraksta/socialdemokratu-veca-gvarde-notur-varu-765548 |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=[[Diena]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Waele |first1=Jean-Michel de |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3gYDAAAQBAJ&dq=aivars+timofejevs+din%C4%93vi%C4%8Ds&pg=PA474 |title=The Palgrave Handbook of Social Democracy in the European Union |last2=Escalona |first2=F. |last3=Vieira |first3=M. |date=2016-04-30 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-137-29380-0 |pages=474 |language=en}}</ref> His tenure did not improve the party's performance, with the LSDSP not running in the [[2014 Latvian parliamentary election|2014 parliamentary election]]. By 2017, Dinēvičs had returned to lead the party.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LSDSP - Dienas personība - LSDSP priekšsēdētājs Jānis Dinevičs |trans-title=Today's personality - LSDSP Chairman Jānis Dinevičs |url=http://www.lsdsp.lv/index.php/zinas/39-dienas-personiba-lsdsp-priekssedetajs-janis-dinevics |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=www.lsdsp.lv |language=lv}}</ref> At the [[2018 Latvian parliamentary election|2018 election]], the party received just 0,21% of the vote.

2022 brought a historic turn for the party, when on June 1 it joined the [[Union of Greens and Farmers]] (ZZS) after the [[Latvian Green Party]] had left the alliance, as the second member of ZZS is the Farmer's Union, LSDSP's main rival in the 1920s and 1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saeimas vēlēšanās Zemnieku savienības un LSDSP kopīgais premjera amata kandidāts būs Viktors Valainis |url=https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/saeimas-velesanas-zemnieku-savienibas-un-lsdsp-kopigais-premjera-amata-kandidats-bus-viktors-valainis.a459588/ |access-date=2022-08-14 |website=www.lsm.lv |language=lv}}</ref> In the [[2022 Latvian parliamentary election|2022 elections]], the party managed to get two of its members elected on the ZZS list, marking a return to the Saeima after an absence of 20 years.

In 2012, the [[Socialist International]] demoted LSDSP to observer member for not paying membership fees. The party was officially delisted from the Socialist International in December 2014. It currently maintains the status of observer member in the [[Party of European Socialists]]. 

==Election results==
===Legislative elections===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
|-
! rowspan=2 |Election
! rowspan=" |Party leader
! colspan=5 |Performance
! rowspan=2 |Rank
! rowspan=2 |Government
|-
! Votes
! %
! ± pp
! Seats
! +/–
|-
! [[1920 Latvian Constitutional Assembly election|1920]]
| align=left| [[:lv:Andrejs Petrevics|Andrejs Petrevics]]
| 274,877
| 38.67
| New
| {{Composition bar|57|150|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| New
| 1st
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1922 Latvian parliamentary election|1922]]
| align=left| [[Jānis Pliekšāns]]
| 241,947	
| 30.56
| {{decrease}} 8.11
| {{Composition bar|30|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 27
| {{steady}} 1st
| {{yes2|[[:lv:Pauļuka Ministru kabinets|Coalition]]}}
|-
! [[1925 Latvian parliamentary election|1925]]
| align=left rowspan=3 |[[Pauls Kalniņš]]
| 260,987		
| 31.37
| {{increase}} 0.81
| {{Composition bar|32|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{steady}} 1st
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1928 Latvian parliamentary election|1928]]
| 226,340		
| 24.34
| {{decrease}} 7.03
| {{Composition bar|25|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 7
| {{steady}} 1st
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[1931 Latvian parliamentary election|1931]]
| 186,000	
| 19.23
| {{decrease}} 5.11
| {{Composition bar|21|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 4
| {{steady}} 1st
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
| bgcolor="lightgrey" colspan=9 align=center | Banned 1934-1990 under the [[1934 Latvian coup d'état|Ulmanis regime]] and the [[Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic|Latvian SSR]]
|-
! [[1993 Latvian parliamentary election|1993]]
| align=left| [[:lv:Egils Baldzēns|Egils Baldzēns]]
| 7,416	
| 0.66
| New
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| New
| 17th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[1995 Latvian parliamentary election|1995]]{{efn|name=fn1}}
| align=left| [[:lv:Jānis Dinevičs|Jānis Dinevičs]]
| 43,599	
| 4.58
| {{increase}} 3.92
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
| {{increase}} 10th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[1998 Latvian parliamentary election|1998]]{{efn|name=fn12}}
| align=left| [[Jānis Ādamsons]]
| 123,056
| 12.88 (#5)
| {{increase}} 8.30
| {{Composition bar|14|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{increase}} 14
| {{increase}} 5th
| {{yes2|[[Krištopans cabinet|Coalition]]}}
|-
! [[2002 Latvian parliamentary election|2002]]
| align=left| [[:lv:Juris Bojārs|Juris Bojārs]]
| 39,837
| 4.02
| {{decrease}} 8.86
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{decrease}} 14
| {{decrease}} 8th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2006 Latvian parliamentary election|2006]]
| align=left rowspan=3 |[[:lv:Jānis Dinevičs|Jānis Dinevičs]]
| 31,728
| 3.52
| {{decrease}} 0.50
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}  
| {{steady}} 0
| {{steady}} 8th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2010 Latvian parliamentary election|2010]]{{efn|name=fn5}}
| 6,139
| 0.65
| {{decrease}} 2.87
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}  
| {{steady}} 0
| {{decrease}} 10th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2011 Latvian parliamentary election|2011]]
| 2,531	
| 0.28
| {{decrease}} 0.37
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}  
| {{steady}} 0
| {{decrease}} 11th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2014 Latvian parliamentary election|2014]]
| align=left| [[Aivars Timofejevs]]
| colspan=6 align=center|''did not contest''
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! [[2018 Latvian parliamentary election|2018]]{{efn|name=fn7}}
| align=left rowspan=3| [[:lv:Jānis Dinevičs|Jānis Dinevičs]]
| 1,735
| 0.21
| {{decrease}} 0.07
| {{Composition bar|0|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}  
| {{steady}} 0
| {{decrease}} 14th
| {{no|Extra-parliamentary}}
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[2022 Latvian parliamentary election|2022]]{{efn|name=fn8}}
| rowspan="2"| 113,676
| rowspan="2"| 12.58
| rowspan="2"| {{increase}} 12.37
| rowspan="2"| {{Composition bar|2|100|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}  
| rowspan="2"| {{increase}} 2
| rowspan="2"| {{increase}} 2nd
| {{no2|Opposition}} <small>(2022–2023)</small>
|-
| {{yes2|[[Siliņa cabinet|Coalition]]}} <small>(2023–)</small>
|-
|}

{{notelist|notes=
{{efn|name=fn1|Labour and Justice (DuT) list, coalition between LSDSP, [[Latvian Social Democratic Party|LSDP]] and Taisnība}}
{{efn|name=fn12| Latvian Social Democratic Alliance (LSDA) list, coalition between LSDSP, [[Latvian Social Democratic Party|LSDP]] and [[:lv:Latgales Demokrātu partija|LDP]]}}
{{efn|name=fn5|[[Responsibility – Social Democratic Alliance of Political Parties|Responsibility]] list, coalition between LSDSP, [[:lv:Mūsu zeme|Our Land]], and [[Latvijas Atmoda]] and [[Social Justice Party (Latvia)|STP]]}}
{{efn|name=fn7|[[SKG Alliance]] list, coalition between LSDSP, [[Christian Democratic Union (Latvia)|KDS]], and [[:lv:Gods kalpot mūsu Latvijai|GKL]]}}
{{efn|name=fn8|[[Union of Greens and Farmers]] list, coalition between [[Latvian Farmers' Union|LZS]], [[For Latvia and Ventspils|LuV]] and LSDSP}}
}}

===European Parliament elections===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-
! Election
! List leader
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! EP Group
|-
! [[2004 European Parliament election in Latvia|2004]]
| rowspan=2 |''Unclear''
| 27,468
| 4.81 (#7)
| {{Composition bar|0|9|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| New
| rowspan=5 |–
|-
! [[2009 European Parliament election in Latvia|2009]]
| 30,004
| 3.86 (#9)
| {{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2014 European Parliament election in Latvia|2014]]
| rowspan=2 |[[Jānis Dinevičs]]
| 1,462	
| 0.33 (#10)
| {{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2019 European Parliament election in Latvia|2019]]
| 922	
| 0.20 (#14)
| {{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! [[2024 European Parliament election in Latvia|2024]]{{efn|The [[Union of Greens and Farmers|ZZS]] list didn't win any seat}}
| [[Harijs Rokpelnis]]
| 11,852	
| 2.30 (#9)
| {{Composition bar|0|9|hex={{party color|Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party}}}}
| {{steady}} 0
|-
|}
{{Notelist}}

==Symbols and logos==
<gallery>
File:LSDSP logo.png|Old logo
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Brūno Kalniņš]]
*''[[Sociāldemokrats]], former newspaper

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.lsdsp.lv Official website] {{in lang|lv}}

{{Latvian political parties}}
{{Party of European Socialists}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Political parties in Latvia]]
[[Category:Former member parties of the Socialist International]]
[[Category:Political parties of the Russian Revolution]]
[[Category:Social democratic parties in Latvia]]
[[Category:Members of the Labour and Socialist International]]
[[Category:Party of European Socialists member parties]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1918]]
[[Category:Formerly banned socialist parties]]
[[Category:Mensheviks|.]]
[[Category:1918 establishments in Latvia]]