Abu Meri steps back from active role in Unity party

Hosams Abu Meri, the outgoing government's health minister and a member of the New Unity (JV) party, has informed the party's board of his decision to step down as chairman of the Unity party council. In a social media statement, he said he believes now is the right time to step back from active party work.

New Unity won seven seats in the recent 15th Saeima election. Abu Meri had run on the party's Vidzeme regional list but was not elected to the new parliament — he received the highest number of strike-off votes among all JV candidates.

In his statement, Abu Meri thanked everyone who voted in the election and made their choice, offering particular thanks to those who recognized his work as health minister. Reflecting on his time in office, he wrote that he took on leadership of a politically difficult sector that has often struggled to find someone willing to lead it. He said that while pursuing necessary reforms, he faced pressure from various interest groups, resistance from industry organizations, and personal attacks, with criticism sometimes extending beyond his decisions into the spread of disinformation. He described the past three years as difficult, noting that the changes and decisions made caused dissatisfaction among parts of society, but said he deliberately chose not to take the easier path and continued pursuing reforms he considered necessary for society and the future of healthcare.

Abu Meri acknowledged that New Unity has not worked efficiently enough, and said he personally bears part of the responsibility for that. He stressed that the election result calls not only for evaluation but also for responsible decisions, which is why he has decided to step down as chairman of the Unity party council.