What the new Christian MEP dislikes in green policies from Europe
Vilis Kristopans in the Parliament in Latvia. Photo Saeima
European Union
The former Prime Minister from Latvia has great plans to change the EU’s direction. From next week, Vilis Kristopans will be the fourth European Parliament member (MEP) for the Christian party ECPM. “Big energy”, that is what the former sportsman will show.
No, 70 years is still young enough to start a European political career, says Vilis Kristopans in a telephone interview from Latvia. “What about Trump? What about Biden? They are ten years older. Trump still has big energy. I have many friends of 80, and they all have big energy.”
Kristopans had his 70th birthday shortly after the European elections. He is a Member of Parliament for Latvia First, a right-wing party founded in 2021.
Kristopans spent many years in Latvian politics from the nineties onwards. In 1998 and 1999, he even served as Prime Minister. In 2006, he left politics. “Until 2022, I spent my time in the forests and on the golf course. There, I got the plan to do something for Latvia again.”
Okay, what do you want to do then? What is your program?
“Well, very simple. No federal Europe, as Von der Leyen wants. A free market, free families, no climate policies anymore. Also, in Latvia, most green policies are wrong.
We have to curb migration. Look at Germany and Sweden; how Muslims have put the old Christian Europe of Schuman and Adenauer under pressure. Our safety is in danger because of the migration. I think Merkel made a big mistake by opening the doors.
Because of the migration pact, Latvia must also accept migrants or pay 20,000 euros per person. That is a wrong policy.
I much more believe in camps as Italy has built in Albania. There are 40,000 migrants. Some of them come to Europe, but the rest go back to Africa and where they are from.”
What else is there in your program?
“I believe in more competition between Europe, America and China. I am afraid the EU is in trouble. We only have 7 per cent of the world’s population. We try to do something, but we lose everything. Of course, as a single MEP, I cannot change everything. Therefore, I try to find other people to work with.”
And, did you find them already?
“I will be part of this new group, Patriots of Europe. I like those people. They are pragmatic. They stop dreaming about only electronic cars and other Utopian things. The Patriots will have 84 seats in the European Parliament and become the third largest group.”
You are also part of the European Christian Political Movement. What do they have that makes you enthusiastic?
“Oh, that is a long story. I come from a Catholic family. My father went to church every Sunday.
This type of people voted for me: traditional families. Because I voted against the Istanbul Convention and LGBT rights. And I defended liberty in the economy and freedom in families.
Until now, Latvia has no same-sex marriage. Our constitution also protects classical marriage. But we don’t know how long we can keep it like this.”
According to biographies on the internet, you also have been a member of the Communist Party in the past. Why was that?
“Haha, yes. That isn’t easy to understand. I was a professional basketball player in the seventies. The whole team together was made a member of the Communist Party automatically. That was connected to being in that team. It is a stupid joke but true.
When Gorbachev came into power, I told my director that I would step out of the party. That was in 1987. After that, everything changed.”
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