Parliamentary Elections in Latvia: Joint List Wins the Election

With 97 percent of the votes counted in Latvia's parliamentary elections on Saturday, the Joint List led by Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs achieved one of the strongest election results since the country regained independence in 1991.

The Joint List received 35.3 percent of the votes and was entitled to win 42 seats in the 100-seat parliament. Following the results, Kulbergs is expected to retain his post as prime minister and form a new pro-Ukrainian coalition.

Kulbergs, 47, a businessman and amateur rally driver, became prime minister in May after the collapse of the previous government coalition.

The previous coalition was subject to intense criticism for its handling of the events that occurred when some Ukrainian military drones entered Latvian airspace undetected.

Political scientist Roberts Kits pointed out that the Latvian economy has been lagging behind other Baltic countries for more than a decade, and stated that Kulbergs highlighted his promises to improve management, reduce bureaucracy and reduce public expenditures in his election campaign.

Kits stated that Kulbergs presented the voters with the profile of a politician who "gets things done" and said that the election result also raised expectations for the government.

TWO OPTIONS FOR COALITION

It is stated that the Joint List may form a coalition with the nationalist National Alliance or the liberal Progressives to gain a majority in parliament.

However, political analysts are of the opinion that ensuring unity within the government of the Joint List, which consists of different small parties and independent names, will be an important test for the Kulbergs.

It is noted that no government in Latvia has ever been able to complete its four-year term.

Kulbergs announced that support for Ukraine will continue after the election results and the current policy against Russia will be maintained.

Arguing that economic relations with Russia pose a security risk for Latvia, Kulbergs said, "Any economic ties with Russia weaken us. Yes, it may bring some more money, but this creates a weakness that Russia can exploit."

Kulbergs also stated that the election result was above his expectations and described the support his party received as "extraordinary".

5 PERCENT OF NATIONAL INCOME FOR DEFENSE

During the election campaign, Kulbergs promised that Latvia would increase its defense capacity against unmanned aerial vehicles and keep defense spending at 5 percent of gross domestic product.

This rate stands out as one of the highest defense spending rates among NATO countries.

Kulbergs' pro-Russian opponents, on the other hand, advocated stopping aid to Ukraine and directing resources to combating the high cost of living in the country.

Populist Latvia First took second place in the election with 13.1 percent of the votes. The party, which tried to reach the country's large population of Russian origin throughout the campaign, stood out with its rhetoric similar to the "MAGA" movement in the USA.

The pro-Russian Sovereign Power came in third with 11.7 percent, while the National Alliance, which advocates tough policies against the Kremlin, received 8.9 percent of the votes.

Although pro-Russian parties have increased their representation in parliament, political analysts state that these parties are not expected to have a decisive influence on the new government.

PARTICIPATION RATE DECREASED

Participation in the election remained at 51.8 percent. This rate was at 59.4 percent in the 2022 elections.

Political scientist Janis Ikstens evaluated that the decrease in the participation rate reflects the dissatisfaction of voters towards political parties in Latvia.

Latvia, with a population of approximately 1.9 million, borders Russia and Belarus to the east, Estonia to the north, and Lithuania to the south. The country on the Baltic Sea coast is a member of both NATO and the European Union.