RIGA, Dec 13 (LETA) - The National Alliance will base its campaign ahead of the 2025 municipal elections in Riga on national and economic policy, Riga Vice Mayor Edvards Ratnieks (National Alliance), the National Alliance's candidate for the capital city's next mayor, told LETA.

The National Alliance's Riga team has developed a strategy for the party's election campaign in Riga with the motto "Tested Values. New Energy". The party says that national matters and the economic program will be represented in equal proportions in the Riga program.

"In Riga, we will equally concentrate our efforts on strengthening policies and values of national interest, as well as on economic development and economic issues," Ratnieks said.

He explains that in the last two years, while managing the municipality's property sector, many projects have been initiated and completed, "targeting the development of education, sports, cultural and security infrastructure, including by raising additional funding for these purposes". Work has also started on reducing the administrative burden, for example by setting up a contact point for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Riga.

"Together with the National Alliance team we will continue to work on dynamic economic development so that Riga regains its role as the center of the Baltics and is able to make a breakthrough in the competition of Nordic metropolises," Ratnieks promises.

He also promises not to be provoked by "rivals and supporters of soft power". The politician stresses that "the street names and other symbols of Moscow and Russia's imperial dogma had to disappear immediately from the urban landscape, giving way to the carriers of Latvian values and the heroes of our nation".

"We are also successfully continuing the process of Latvianisation of schools and the transition to teaching in the national language. We are and will remain firm on national values and against distorting them, including in culture," the Riga vice mayor stressed.

The National Alliance's economic agenda will be based on attracting investment and tourists, as well as improving the local business environment by cutting red tape and administrative barriers. The party also promises to boost the incomes of Riga residents through economic development.

"We will achieve fair taxation for Riga by making personal income tax payable based on both declared place of residence and place of work," the National Alliance says.

The political party also promises to ensure that the corporate income tax would be paid not only into the state budget but also into municipal budgets, which would motivate municipalities to develop business in their territories. The National Alliance will also call for a review of the local government equalization fund.

As reported, Ratnieks will be the National Alliance's lead candidate in the upcoming local elections in Riga.