National Power Unity
 | |
| Current Leader: | Viktors Birze |
| Founded: | June 26, 2003 |
| Headquarters: | A. Pumpura 10- 315 kab. Liepāja, Latvia |
| Political ideology: | Nationalism |
National Power Unity, (Latvian: Nacionālā Spēka Savienība, NSS), sometimes referred to as National Power Union or Union of National Force, was a far-right nationalist political party in Latvia. It was a member of the European National Front.
It was founded in 2003 by Aigars Prūsis and Viktors Birze on the base of the human rights group Helsinki-86.
In the 2005 municipal elections to the Liepāja city council, the NSS received 400 votes, or 1.86% of the total, and no seats. In the 2006 parliamentary election, the NSS received 1172 votes, or 0.13% of the total, and no seats.
NSS is known for a number of controversial activities. In 2005, it commemorated the 105-th birthday of Herberts Cukurs, 1930s Latvian aviator and alleged World War II Nazi war criminal. NSS claims that they celebrated the aviation achievements of Cukurs and that there is no sufficient evidence to conclude that Cukurs was involved in war crimes.
NSS participated in the protests against the gay pride parade in Riga on July 22, 2006. Prior to the parade, the chairman of NSS, Viktors Birze threatened that the anti-gay pride protests will not be limited to non-violent methods. As of May 2007, Birze and at least one other NSS member are under investigation for attacks against the parade (throwing objects at the participants of the parade and police officers). After the events, NSS admitted their presence in the anti-pride protests but denied that their members were the ones throwing objects at the pride participants.
On May 9, 2007, NSS commemorated the anniversary of the end of World War II by marching towards the monument for the Soviet soldiers and attempting to place a wreath made of barbed wire at the monument, to emphasize the ordeals of Latvia after the Soviet Union winning the World War II. They were prevented from placing the barbed wire wreath by the police.
NSS did not submit an application for re-registration and was disbanded in 2008. Its members joined forces with the radical national party Tēvzemes savienība (Fatherland Union), to form Tēvzemes nacionālo spēku savienība (National Power Union of the Fatherland).[citation needed]
See also
External links
- A July 17, 2006 LETA news item about the threat of violence - in Latvian. Retrieved 17 July 2006.
- "Latvian capital bans gay parade," at CNN. Retrieved 19 July 2006.