I dream of a country. Saima. / History of the Saeima

Many interests had to be reconciled, the behind-the-scenes political process had to be addressed to bring together the necessary political forces to secure a majority. In general, more or less successful governments have already been created. But the beginning of this process is linked to the Constituent Assembly. The first battles, the first pre-election battles, the first experience of what kind of people enter parliament, what they do there, how they behave there, what happens to them after the parliament, how they change political affiliations while they are in parliament, and so on Street. During the Constituent Assembly a whole series of things began, which later became trivial ».

The elections are coming

The pre-election campaign period was characterized by mutual conflicts. In the early 1920s it often happened that the right, and vice versa, invaded the demonstrations organized by the opposing party. According to historian Eric Jacobson, the opponents even tried to physically influence each other: “As early as 1919 it was evident that, for example, right-wing or radical officers and soldiers did not like the Social Democrats very much. Then, when they were drunk, they tried to violently stop this passing meeting. It often ended in fights. The police kept getting complaints about propaganda materials being glued or torn from advertising poles. Or glued with your political power stuff. You shouldn’t. Don’t do it. Well, take what’s pasting … it happens en masse”.

With what slogans did the parties go to the elections? What did the parties fight for? ”The national parties ‘insisted’ that the Latvians finally have their own country, which ‘now we decide, not the Baltic Germans, Poles or Russians, who previously decided everything here largely unfairly. The situation has changed, they have to understand that they are minorities here and so on”. And viceversa. Minorities marched with slogans for their rights and so on. Left and right. interests of the workers or the working classes. The Social Democrats and other left-wing political parties are exactly the same. That there should be social justice and so on. These slogans develop over time, but until the 4 Saeima elections we see what is relevant – law and order, work, bread, warmth, this was already understood by the Bolsheviks in Russia in 1917. One must promise what matters, and that is what the political forces do above all, and only a part of them knows how to get it. Likewise, many, like Lenin, had no idea how to get it, but realized that one had to promise to enter the Saeima and receive a good salary for three years. At the time it was three years, not four.”